Target killings: Week ends with killings of six people in the city

Christian, political workers, minor and spiritual healer victims of the day.

KARACHI: The week ended in Karachi with the killings of at least six people, including two Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) leaders, a policeman and a policeman’s son.

The ASWJ leaders were killed between the Bilal and Vita Chowrangi in Korangi when four of them were passing on two motorcycles. According to police officials, armed assailants — also riding motorcycles — opened fire at the victims, injuring all four.

They were taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where 35-year-old Altaf Aziz and 30-year-old Qari Ibrahim succumbed to their injuries while Abdul Qadir and Mohammad Tayyab are in critical condition.

Deceased Altaf Aziz was the head of the ASWJ Mehmoodabad Sector and Qari Ibrahim was its information secretary while the injured are associated with the Mehmoodabad Sector as secretary generals.

Separately, a spiritual healer, 55-year-old Qari Mohammad Din, was shot dead in Khuda Ki Basti.

The minor son of a policeman was found dead from an under-construction building located in Baldia Town. Saeedabad police officials said that the child was kidnapped on Saturday while he was playing near his house. They said that the kidnappers killed the child by stabbing him with a sharp material, adding that the deceased was also sexually assaulted before being dumped at the underground water tank.

Separately, Zia Hashmat, who belonged to the Christian community, was shot dead near the Eye Spencer Hospital in Lyari within the limits of the Napier police station. A police officer was shot dead in New Muzaffarabad Colony. The deceased was identified as ASI Anwarul Haq.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2014.