Attacks on Bohra community: Violence reaches Hyderabad with 11 dead in 72 hours

HYDERABAD:

The city’s peaceful Dawoodi Bohra community was forced to visit the graveyard a second time in three days as it buried two of its members on Wednesday. The sudden spate of violence has claimed 11 lives and injured over half a dozen residents here during the last 72 hours. Four of those who were killed belonged to the Dawoodi Bohra community. Police continue to be clueless about the motives behind the incidents that have created a rare law and order situation here in Hyderabad.

Police put barb wires and tents around Bohri Bazaar on Wednesday as the community gathered to offer funeral prayers of Ali Asghar, 45, and Mustafa Ali, 33, at the Jamaat Khana. They were shot dead when suspects attacked Mustafa’s shop, Tahir Traders, on Risala Road late on Tuesday.

The violence started on November 3, when two Dawoodi Bohra men , Murtaza, 40, and Shabbir, 60, and former acting taluka nazim and Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader, Jalilur Rehman, were shot dead. Murtaza’s brother, Hatim, was injured while he was on his way to the hospital later that day.

On November 4, unidentified gunmen attacked the offices of Ghousia Foundation in Shamshad Chambers, killing its head, Kamal Mustafa, Mohammad Kashif, and Shakil Memon. Rizwan Ahmed and Mohammad Maqbool were injured during the attack.

A police constable, Mohammad Usman, was killed near Hyderabad Gymkhana on November 5.

Abdul Rehman Khan, 45, and Munawar Rajjar were killed on November 6. Khan hailed from Mohammand Agency, while Rajjar from Sanghar district.

Later that day, gunmen opened fire on an Ahle Sunnat Wal Jammat rally that was passing through Hatri bypass area. Two ASWJ activists, Naeem and Yousuf, and a girl were injured. ASWJ activists were protesting after their leader, Imran Commando, was allegedly arrested for his involvement in fatal attacks on Murtaza, Shabbir and the MQM leader.

Police response

The government has imposed a ban on pillion riding in the city, and SSP Pir Farid Jan Sarhindi said that five suspects have been arrested so far.

Cantt police SHO Abdul Razzak said that FIRs of attacks on Dawoodi Bohra men has not been registered yet. The community’s spokesperson Moiz Abbass said that they have prepared the text of FIRs, and that they hope to register them by Wednesday night.

“In all the attacks [on our community’s members], the culprits did not speak a word nor had they given any kind of threat to the victims,” said the Jamaat Khana’s chief, Shaikh Muslim Hakeem.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2012.