Five shot dead, three found murdered in city

Law enforcers deployed in parts of the city.

KARACHI: At least five people were shot dead in separate acts of violence on Wednesday and the bodies of the three others were found in different parts of the city.

In the first incident, the police found the bodies of two young men in Timber Market, Old City area. The law enforcers said that there were slips in the pockets of the victims which had the warning ‘whoever betrays the Mohajir suba deserves death’. Strangely though, one of the victims, 24-year-old Farhan, was Urdu-speaking. The other victim, 25-year-old Abdul Rehman Baloch, was Baloch.

SHO Imdad Khawaja said that the victims lived in Angara Goth in Liaquatabad and were abducted in the area on Tuesday night. They were shot multiple times in the head and chest and their bodies also had marks of torture. The officer said that the initial investigation has led law enforcers to believe that at least six men dumped the bodies before heading off towards Lyari. Farhan worked for the income tax department and was said to be affiliated with a political party. However, SHO Khawaja denied this.

The body of a man was found in the Lyari river, in the jurisdiction of the Sher Shah police. SHO Malik Nawaz said the culprits tortured and shot the man before throwing his body into the river.

Elsewhere, two Shia men were shot dead in Haryana Colony, in the jurisdiction of the Mominabad police. The victims Ahmar Raza, 34, and brother-in-law, Syed Mehdi Raza, 22, were residents of  the FB Area. SHO Nasir Mehmood said that as soon as the victims reached their workshop and were about to start work, at least three armed men riding two motorcycles shot and killed them. The bodies are being kept in an Imambargah in Ancholi. West Zone SSP Amir Farooqi said that about eight Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan workers were detained for their possible involvement in the killings.
Tension also prevailed in Shah Faisal Colony after an activist said to be associated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was killed in that area. The victim was identified as 24-year-old Imran Baig, son of Tahir Baig. SHO Sarfaraz Gondal said that Baig was near his home when two armed men riding a motorcycle shot him.

A 22-year-old ice-cream seller, Abdul Ghaffar, was shot dead in Hazara Colony, in the jurisdiction of the Defence police. SHO Khalid Mehmood said that the motive behind the incident had yet to be ascertained.

Nuzhat, 40, wife of Tahir Abbas, was gunned down when armed motorcyclists opened fire on her car in Model Colony.  The police said the victim’s husband, who was also in the car, remained unhurt.

A 42-year-old scrap seller, Abdul Aziz, was shot and injured by armed men in Data Chowk, Orangi.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2012.