Targeted attacks?: MQM, Sunni Tehreek activists among six killed

A former worker of MQM-H was also shot dead at his house.

KARACHI:

At least six people, including four political workers, were gunned down on Tuesday in separate acts of violence in the city.

Aftab Chishti, who was in charge of the Sunni Tehreek in District West, and Fahim Qadri, a worker of the party, were shot dead in Baldia Town, said the Saeedabad police. They claimed that Qadri and Chisti were sitting at a welfare camp in Chandi Chowk when unidentified men on a motorcycle opened fire at them. The bodies were taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC). They were buried at the Mawach Goth graveyard. No case was registered. A party spokesperson, Fahim Qadri, blamed political rivals for the attacks and said that no one was taking action against them.

In an unrelated incident, an activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), identified as Javed Saleem, was killed in Soldier Bazaar. The authorities claimed that Saleem was sitting at his milk shop when two men on a motorcycle shot at him. He was taken to Civil Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

After the incident, a group of people gathered at the crime scene, caught one of the suspects and tried to kill him. Law enforcers had to be called to control the situation. They took the suspect away for questioning.

In a separate incident, a former activist of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H), identified as 40-year-old Naseer, was gunned down while his brother Imran, 26, and nephew Raheel, 18, were injured. District West SSP Amir Farooqui said that unidentified men came to the victim’s house in Orangi Town No. 4 and shot him dead. They also opened fired on Naseer’s brother and nephew when they came outside to rescue him. The officer said that Naseer was a former worker of the MQM-H and currently had no affiliation with any party. The killed man and injured were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

A security guard, identified as 35-year-old Zahid, was gunned down inside his house in Khadim Solangi Goth, within the jurisdiction of the Sohrab Goth police station. DSP Iftikhar Lodhi said that the victim had helped law enforcers arrest a thief, who might exacted his revenge on Zahid after being released from jail. Further investigation was underway.

A young man, identified 25-year-old Saleem aka Charya, was shot dead in Bhains Colony, within the jurisdiction of the Sukkan police station. The police said that the victim was shot in the head by unidentified men. Saleem’s body was taken to JPMC for an autopsy.

Qamaruddin Sheikh, the administrator of the District Municipal Corporation (West Zone), was attacked on University Road in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. However, he managed to escape unhurt. The police reached the site following the incident but the suspects had managed to flee before their arrival.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2012.