As the city reels under a deadly spate of sectarian violence, a Shia man, his two sons and a Sunni prayer leader became the latest victims of motorcycle-riding assassins, who seem to be moving about freely in Karachi these days.
The communal violence seems to have escalated after the targeted killing of Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen’s leader Aftab Jafri, who was killed along with his friend, Mirza Shahid, near the Saddar parking plaza on November 6. Since then, 11 people of the Shia sect and nine of the Deoband sect have been murdered in targeted attacks across the city. Previously in Ramazan also, a deadly wave of sectarian killings had hit Karachi, leaving dozens dead and many more injured.
On Sunday, a day after six seminary students were gunned down at a teashop in Gulshan, unidentified assailants struck in Orangi Town, killing 50-year-old Zarrar Hussain and his two sons, Sajjad Hussain, 28, and Imdad Hussain, 25. Farhan, 22, a helper at the shop, was also injured in the attack.
Four armed men on two motorcycles fired a volley of bullets at the victims, who were sitting inside their shop near Islam Chowk, Pakistan Bazaar SHO Ghulam Nabi Afridi said. About one dozen empty 9mm rounds were found at the crime scene.
Several neighbourhoods in Orangi Town were on the edge as victims’ family members, relatives and friends staged a protest.
Another man belonging to the Shia sect, Syed Mukhtiar Rizvi, was gunned down in Jamshed Town.
In Soldier Bazaar, another Shia community member, Haider Abbas Rizvi, was shot dead outside his residence by two armed motorcyclists.
In Manghopir, the prayer leader of Jamia Masjid Taqwa was gunned down in the evening. Thirty-five-year-old Haroon Yaqoob was delivering a sermon inside the mosque when two armed men came inside and shot him dead, SHO Nasir Mehmood said.
Two more victims of another apparent sectarian attack in the FC Area succumbed to their injuries on Sunday.
Wajahat Danish and Omar Farooq were injured late Saturday night when four armed motorcyclists fired at five friends sitting by the roadside. Asad Abbas Naqvi, 28, was killed and Danish, Farooq, Zulfiqar, Saad and Hassan were wounded in the attack.
Three months ago, Asad’s father Qamar Abbas Naqvi, a deputy director of the Intelligence Bureau, was also killed in a similar manner. Police believe Qamar and his son were both killed on sectarian differences.
Asad and Zulfiqar were the “real” targets as they were Shia, said DSP Wajahat Hussain.
The funeral of Danish and Farooq was held at the Omar Farooq Masjid in the same area and they were later buried at the Yasinabad graveyard.
Near Sohrab Goth, a Geo TV reporter was among four people who were shot injured as enraged members of two rival sects came face to face. The clash erupted when the funeral procession of the slain IB officer’s son was heading toward Wadi-e-Hussain graveyard and activists of Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat were at the Edhi Morgue to take away the body of their leader, Maulana Irfan, who was killed in North Nazimabad on Saturday evening.
“This happens when bereaved members of rival sects confront each other in these situations,” said SSP Amir Farooqui. After the clash, Rangers arrived in Ancholi and Sohrab Goth to launch a search operation but suspended it over unexplained reasons. Only two suspects were arrested.
To investigate the killings of six seminary students, the Sindh inspector general of police, Fayyaz Leghari, has constituted a tribunal under District East DIG Shahid Hayat with SSP Naveed Khawaja, SSP Niaz Khosa and the DSP and SHO of the area concerned as team members.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 12th, 2012.
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