Caught in the crosshairs: Alleged extortionist, MQM man among four gunned down

Altaf Hussain has condemned the attack on his party’s workers.

KARACHI: At least four people, including an MQM worker and an alleged extortionist, were killed since late Thursday night in separate acts of violence.

An alleged extortionist was killed and his companion was injured on Friday by shopkeepers in New Karachi, within the jurisdiction of the New Karachi Industrial Area police station. The two men were reportedly forcing shopkeepers in Khatri Mohalla to pay Fitra.
The victim was identified as 35-year-old Anwar and his injured companion was identified as Omar. They were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

The shopkeepers said Anwar claimed that he belonged to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and would often demand extortion money from them. But PPP District Central leader Syed Sohail Abidi said that Anwar had been dismissed from the party about three years ago because there were several complaints against him. Abidi added that the victim had also served as the party’s local Zakat committee president, but currently he had no links with the PPP.

DSP Mohammad Akhtar said that no arrests have been made yet. He also said that it was also unclear whether the two men were indeed demanding Fitra.

In a separate incident, a taxi driver was gunned down in Mohabbat Nagar, within the jurisdiction of the Malir City police station. The victim was identified as 35-year-old Nisar Mohammad. The police said that the victim was going somewhere in his cab when another taxi intercepted his vehicle and the people inside it shot him. His body was taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

In an unrelated incident, a man, who has yet to be identified, was shot and killed within the jurisdiction of the Soldier Bazaar police station. The body was taken to Civil hospital.

MQM worker killed

A worker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was gunned down on Thursday night near his house in Baldia Town, within the jurisdiction of the Saeedabad police station. Three other workers from the party were also injured. The slain man was identified as Fazal Ahmed, 38, and the injured were identified as Asad, Abdullah and Naeem. They were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where a number of the party’s leaders and workers protested against the incident.
Ahmed was in charge of MQM’s Unit 113 in Baldia. His funeral prayers were offered at Madina Masjid and he was laid to rest in the Saeedabad graveyard.

SHO Chaudhry Irshad said that the four victims were on their way to Ahmed’s house from the unit office when two armed suspects on a motorcycle intercepted and shot at them.
Tension prevailed in parts of Baldia Town after the incident, where commercial activities were suspended and a heavy contingent of law enforcers were deployed to prevent further violence.

A statement issued on Friday by the MQM said that the party’s chief, Altaf Hussain, has expressed profound grief and sorrow over the incident. It also said that the party’s coordination committee has condemned the incident as a cowardly act of terrorism, adding that terrorists were conspiring to foment violence in Karachi.