Under attack: ANP District West loses third president in target killing

Afridi was nominated to take over as ANP’s president in District West after Ziauddin was shot.

KARACHI: Less than two months after Awami National Party's president for District West in Karachi was shot dead, the man who replaced him was also killed.

This is the third time a person holding the party's district presidency was gunned down in a targeted attack.

Haji Saifullah Afridi was nominated to take over as ANP's president in District West after Dr Ziauddin was shot dead last year in Orangi Town.



Both men were killed in a similar manner. Afridi, like Ziauddin, was on his way home from the mosque when he was shot at by unidentified men in Ittehad Town, Baldia. In January 2012, another District West president of the party, Saeed Ahmed Khan, was shot in a similar manner.

The crime scene

On Sunday evening, Afridi and his sons were on their way home from the mosque after offering Maghrib prayers when unidentified men opened fire at them. His sons remained unhurt, while Afridi was shot twice — once in the head and face. He died on the spot. Some men who were with Afridi and his sons shot back at the assailant — two men on a motorcycle, who managed to escape before the police reached the crime scene.

While talking to The Express Tribune, Afridi's son said that the attacker who was sitting in front told his accomplice to shoot his father.

Afridi's funeral prayers were offered at a mosque near his residence and the body was sent to his hometown, Kohat, for the burial on Monday. He leaves behind three sons, a daughter and a widow.

Who was Afridi?

Not only was Afridi the ANP's district president but he was also a candidate for the Sindh Assembly from the constituency PS-90. By profession, he was a transporter.

On target

Since 2011, more than a 100 workers, supporters, members and leaders belonging to the ANP have been shot dead in Karachi — particularly District West. Sources claim that party leaders had been receiving threats from militants to leave the party or be prepared to face the consequences.

The ANP has condemned the attack and said that the government and law enforcers had failed to protect the party's leaders and workers.

"We are not staging protest in respect of Rabiul Awwal but we can shut the city at any time," warned ANP's provincial general secretary Younus Khan Buneri. "We are giving the government and law enforces an ultimatum of 72 hours to find the killers."

Law enforcers suspect, however, that militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's (TTP) Swat chapter are involved in Afridi's death and the previous attacks. DSP Javed Hussain Shah also said that the TTP was behind the incident. He added that the party was aware of who the militants were but were not disclosing their names.

Body found

The body of an unidentified man was found in Bhains Colony within the limits of the Sukkan police station. Initial investigation suggests that he was kidnapped and tortured to death.

In an unrelated incident, a policeman was shot dead in Mawach Goth within the limits of Mochko police station. The deceased was identified as Naqeebullah, 42, and was taken to Civil Hospital, Karachi for the autopsy. Police officials said that deceased was travelling in a police van with other policemen when a stray bullet killed him. An investigation is being carried out.

Separately, a young man was shot dead in Lyari's Baghdadi area. The body was taken to Civil Hospital, Karachi, for the autopsy and shifted to the Edhi morgue in Sohrab Goth.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 6^th, 2014.