Bloodshed continues: Family of slain man protests outside SC’s Karachi registry

ASWJ joins protest, claims the victim was one of its members.

KARACHI: As the Supreme Court’s hearing on the Karachi violence case was in progress on Tuesday, the bloodshed that still plagues the city manifested itself right outside the apex court’s registry. Protesters brought the body of a man killed earlier on in the day outside its gate.

The victim, identified as 35-year-old Mohammad Imran, was shot dead near his home, within the jurisdiction of the Brigade police station. Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat (ASWJ) has claimed that Imran was associated with its Lines Area division. The police said that the Imran owned a shop situated near his house. Law enforcers added that two armed men on a motorcycle intercepted and shot at the victim as he was on his way to the shop. Imran died at the spot and his body was taken to Jinnah hospital.

Following the incident, a number of people, including victim’s family members, relatives as well ASWJ leaders and workers took the body to New MA Jinnah Road in Saddar where they staged a protest. They also set fire to tyres and blocked traffic flow. The protesters, including women and children, then made their way to Supreme Court’s registry situated near Shaheen Complex. They shouted slogans against the incident and made an appeal to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take a suo motu notice of the frequent killings of ASWJ members. The protest also caused a traffic jam on II Chundrigar Road and its surrounding areas.



“Today, I am standing here with my brother’s body. Tomorrow, I might come here with a body of another family member. But nobody seems to be concerned about what is going on. After all, these deaths don’t make a difference to their lives,” Imran’s cousin, Mohammad Shahid, told The Express Tribune.”Aren’t we humans too?”

Addressing the protesters, ASWJ leader Maulana Taj Hanfi condemned the incident, adding that conspiracies were being hatched against the group. The protesters dispersed after law enforcers ensured them of their full cooperation. “We came here [outside the apex court’s registry] to convey a message about our plight to those who can help us,” said Hanfi. “If our demands are not met by the government and law enforcers soon, we will hold protests across the country.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 27^th, 2013.