At around 9:30pm on Tuesday night, 60-year-old Mohammad Raza, his sons Kumail and Abbas were shot dead while his third son Mohammad was injured on their way home from their store in Jodia Bazaar. DSP Usman Bajwa told The Express Tribune that the four men were attacked by two people on a motorcycle in Pan Mandi near Napier Road.
The police suspect that the attack on Raza and his sons was in reaction to the killing of the four brothers affiliated with the Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat (ASWJ) near Disco Morr as they left their coaching centre on Abul Hasan Ispahani Road on Monday. Their nephew, Salman, who was also with them, was injured in the attack.
The police suspect that this case had similarities with one which took place two months ago, right after the blast on the Imamia Student Organisation’s Youm-e-Quds rally on University Road. That day, five friends from the Deobandi school of thought were shot dead at a restaurant near Disco Morr. Then six more Deobandi men were killed in North Karachi, Gulberg and Gulshan.
Initial investigations into the Deobandi murders revealed that the police had arrested a suspect who was linked with the banned Sipah-e-Mohammad Pakistan. District West DIG Akram Naeem Bharoka told The Express Tribune that it was an unfortunate incident and the police had not foreseen it. “These are all sectarian killings and are linked with the blast,” he said. “The militant wings of both sects are growing active day by day. North Karachi is primarily dominated by the Deobandis. Since the roads are wide and there are not a lot of street lights in the area, it is easy for the suspects to get their targets.” He added that it was difficult to narrow down the suspects because there were a hundred thousand motorcycles on the road and it was impossible to stop and check every single one.
“The only solution I can think of is to register FIRs with the suspects’ name and carry out proper investigations,” he said. “The suspects should be arrested and sent to court. This way we will have the upper hand and emerge victorious.”
Transitions
Mohammad Fareed, Abdul Waheed, Abdul Muqeeb and Abdul Moeed were laid to rest at the Mohammad Shah graveyard. Their funeral prayers were offered at Quba Masjid, North Karachi and the prayers were led by the jamaat’s central leader Maulana Aurangzaib Farooqui. A large number of people, including party leaders, workers and supporters, attended the funeral. They also staged a protest against the attack and blamed the party’s sectarian rivals for killing the brothers.
While talking to the media, Farooqui claimed that his party was always blamed for disturbing the peace in the city. “They always call us terrorists or extremists, where are they now that four of our men have been killed,” he said. “They should note that no shops or vehicles were burnt today. No one else died today.” He added that they would go on protest on Friday and organise a rally on Sunday.
The police have suspended Sir Syed SHO Changaiz Khan and registered FIR no. 433/12 against four unidentified men on Salman’s behalf.
The Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat was formerly known as the banned Sipah Sahaba Pakistan. However, there is currently a dispute about its own status. The interior ministry banned the ASWJ in February but the party disagrees.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 26th, 2012.
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