Alleged LJ men remanded to police custody
Staff Report
KARACHI: The five alleged terrorists of the banned outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi were remanded to the custody of CID police until November 3 on Thursday by the Judicial Magistrate, West.
CID police disclosed the arrest of the accused, Shakeel, Atif, Nasir, alias Saifullah, Waseem and Afzal, and claimed recovery of Indian-made RDX weighing 150 kilogrammes, two suicide vests and other weapons. Police claimed that their accomplices, Rasheed, Arif, Danish and Naseer managed to flee during the raid.
The alleged terrorists had been arrested on Wednesday after a brief encounter carried out by the CID.
Two political activists shot dead; two cops detained
Friday, March 20, 2009
By our correspondent
Karachi
Two political workers were killed on Thursday while a boy who was wounded during Wednesday’s violence in the Sharah-e-Noor Jahan area, died on Thursday morning.
Two activists of a political party - Zeeshan alias Shani and Muhammad Shan - were killed by unidentified gunmen riding a rickshaw. Both men were sitting outside their residence in Sadat Colony, Shah Faisal Colony, when three unidentified gunmen shot at them and fled.
The families of the deceased alleged that Shah Faisal police personnel were behind the killing, because some police personnel had threatened them with dire consequences following a verbal clash a few days ago.
They were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) but they succumbed to their wounds. The Shah Faisal police station registered a case on the complaint of Syed Abbas Abidi, the father of one of the deceased, and took into custody two policemen, ASI Naveed and Constable Iqbal, of their own police station.
The complainant alleged that a clash had taken place between the deceased and the policemen on March 17 over the issue of aerial firing when the two police personnel threatened his son with dire consequences. An official of Shah Faisal police station confirmed the detention of two policemen but said they had not been charged for want of medico-legal and forensic reports.
Tension gripped the entire Shah Faisal Colony when the bodies of the deceased were brought to Imam Bargah Sadat Colony for funeral prayers. Later, a large number of people placed the bodies of the two men on the road and protested against their killing.
Emotionally-charged protestors accused the police personnel of killing the innocent youths and demanded of the authorities to take stern action against the culprits. Heavy contingents of police and Rangers were deployed in the area, however, some unidentified youths opened fire at the police personnel on duty. No one was injured.
The city burns again
* Killing of Shia youth in Shah Faisal Colony sparks sectarian violence
By Faraz Khan
KARACHI: Sectarian riots broke out in the city in reaction to the killing of a youth belonging to the Shia community.
Law enforcers were unable to control the law and order situation as the miscreants put at least five vehicles, three shops, one printing press, one beauty parlor and a house on fire. The miscreants also resorted to aerial firing in different localities of the city that suspended routine and commercial life and resulted in a massive traffic jam. According to reports, the areas where the riots broke out include Shah Faisal Colony, Ancholi, Al-Noor Society, Jaffer Tayyar, Malir and Liaquatabad. Miscreants burned three more vehicles in various parts of the city including Nazimabad, Rizvia Society and Liaquatabad.
It is pertinent to mention here that a youth named Haseeb Abbasi was shot dead while two others were wounded when a clash erupted over putting up flags and wall chalking between rival religious organisations at night on Friday within the jurisdiction of Shah Faisal Police Station.
On Saturday, the relatives of the deceased put his body on Sharah-e-Faisal and protested over his murder while demanding the arrest of the culprits behind the incident.
An FIR No 56/09 was registered on the behalf of the deceased’s brother Anis Abbas against three people affiliated with the Sunni Tehreek named Emran Qadri, Ehtisham and Shafi.
Shah Faisal DSP Raza Hussain Shah told Daily Times that after the burial, the angry crowd started riots in the area. The mob blocked Sharah-e-Faisal and Sharah-e-Pakistan for several hours by burning tyres on the road and pelting stones at passing vehicles.
It is important to mention here that the house and one of the three shops set on fire were owned by Emran who is nominated in the FIR.
DSP Shah said that on Friday night, a clash erupted between the two organisations. However on Saturday, the ST men were involved in the firing incident outside the Imambargah in which the Moizzin, his son and a passerby were wounded. There were reports that the miscreants also tried to damage the Chishti Masjid in Shah Faisal however the DSP did not confirm the news.
However, Gulberg DSP Iftikhar Lodhi confirmed the riots in the area while adding that three vehicles were set on fire within his jurisdiction. “We have arrested six culprits red-handed and further raids are being conducted for the arrests of others,” said Lodhi.
Fire Brigade Department Spokesman Abdul Wahid added that the fire brigades were sent to extinguish the flames.
ST spokesman, condemning the incident, demanded legal action against the miscreants behind the incident. “It is a conspiracy against both the religious organisations,” the spokesman said. “Extremist of a religious organisation erased the wall-chalking done by another religious party which resulted in peace in the city deteriorating.”
All Pakistan Shia Action Committee (APSAC) Chief Allama Mirza Yousuf Hussain told Daily Times that the police high ups said that the culprits will be arrested soon. This statement finally calmed the people and also ended the riots. He further said that after ending the protest, the Shia community received information regarding the target shooting of the Moizzin of the Imambargah Nasiran in Shah Faisal Colony No 5 and they immediately retaliated, restarting the riots. “All the culprits should be arrested immediately otherwise countrywide protests will be held,” he warned the government.
Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, taking serious notice of the riots, ordered police high ups to ensure that peace in the city is restored. He said that anti-democratic elements are trying to derail peace and trying to uproot democracy. Mirza further urged the police to talk to the clerics so that the city can be freed of violence. The law enforcers have been put on high alert and have been ordered to enhance deployment at Masajids, Imambargahs, governmental and non-governmental buildings while ensuring regular patrols of the city
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Suicide bomber killed by constable on bank duty
RECORDER REPORT
KARACHI ( 2009-02-21 15:00:29 ) :An alleged suicide bomber from a Jihadi group was killed on Saturday when he intruded into a bank in Sabzi Mandi area for committing dacoity. Inspector. Nasir Mashwani SHO Sohrab Goth police station told Business Recorder. 5 kg explosive, 12 rods attached to live battery and a hand-grenade in his hand were recovered. He said:
"The intending suicide bomber came to MCB Bank in the morning, along with an accomplice, in a taxi."
He said: "When the bomber, whose identity has been ascertained but is being kept secret for investigation purposes, entered the bank, he was encountered by a police guard, Aslam, on duty." Afraid of being caught, the bomber fired at the constable and the bullet hit his leg, he said adding that the police guard, sensing greater danger, wasted no time and shot him to death, before he could have blasted himself.
He said: "Sohrab Goth Police have established a check post near bank and after listening gunfire other police officials present in police picket rushed to the scene and took the injured constable to hospital." He said that there were about 25-26 customers inside the bank, and if the bomber would have exploded him it would have caused a big loss of human lives. He said:
"Aslam played on his life and foiled 76.5 million bank robbery bid."
Meanwhile, acknowledging the courage and bravery of the constable, Sindh Home Minister Zulfikar Mirza promoted him as Head Constable, besides announcing a cash award for him. Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Karachi Waseem Ahmed said that identity of the bomber had been ascertained but was being kept secret for investigation purposes and for early arrest of his accomplices.
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Protests cause traffic jams
Sunday, February 22, 2009
By our correspondent
Karachi
Protesters on Saturday evening blocked three main arteries of the city over the killing of a worker of a religious political party. Shahrah-e-Faisal, Shahrah-e-Pakistan and University Road were blocked, when workers of the ISO and people belonging to the Shia community protested the killing of their worker in Steel Town on Friday night. They took out protest rally that caused a traffic jam on Shahrah-e-Faisal.
While traffic was diverted, it was not until after six in the evening when the traffic began to flow smoothly.
The incidents in Ancholi were far sinister as protesters set alight a minibus, a dumper and a private vehicle, and resorted to aerial fire. Their protests blocked the Shahrah-e-Pakistan form Water Pump to Sohrab Goth for over an hour and motorists were forced to find alternative routes. There were reports of traffic jams near Hasan Square as the traffic was diverted away from Essa Nagri where there were reports of aerial firing.
The fire department too dispatched its tenders to various locations, especially to Ancholi and the Airport area.
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City tense after ISO-ST clash
Sunday, February 22, 2009
By our correspondent
Karachi
Hostility between two religious groups entered into a second day, as eight vehicles, several houses and shops were torched on Saturday in Shah Faisal Colony.
Al-Falah Supervisory Police Officer (SPO), Syed Raza Hussain Shah, said that late Friday night, activists of Sunni Tehrik (ST) started wall chalking and hoisted their flags in Shah Faisal Colony No 4, but were stopped by activists of Imamia Students Organisation (ISO). In retaliation, activists of ST opened fire, due to which an ISO activist, 25-year-old Haseeb Abbas, died.
Shah added that the area became tense after the incident, and some unidentified persons also resorted to aerial firing. Meanwhile the relatives of the deceased came to the police station and registered a case of murder, and nominated ST activists Imran Qadri, Safee Qadri and others.
The funeral of the deceased Abbas took place in Shah Faisal Colony and he was buried in the Colony Gate Graveyard. After the funeral, those who attended the funeral blocked the road for vehicular traffic on the Natha Khan Bridge, Sharea Faisal. They demanded that authorities immediately arrest the killers.
During their protest, some unidentified persons torched a house of Imran Qadri, who was nominated in the murder case, while three of his shops were also set ablaze in Shah Faisal Colony No 2.
Police and fire station sources added that the miscreants also torched a printing press, a beauty parlour in Shah Faisal Colony No 5. They also torched a house No 21/77. Moreover, the miscreants torched a house No 5/3 and also torched a Jeep (KB-1627) belonging to Allama Zafar Abbas.
The miscreants also torched the house of Zafar, a leader belonging to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), torched the house of Akhtar Hussain and also torched the house of Ali Mehdi in Shah Faisal Colony.
Furthermore, unidentified persons shot and injured a father and son who were identified as Khuda Hassan and Ghulam Hussain in front of Nasraan Trust near Raza Chowk in Shah Faisal Colony. According to unconfirmed reports Hussain succumbed to his injuries.
After the violence in Shah Faisal Colony, violence also gripped other areas of the city, including Ancholi, Rizvia and Liaquatabad.
Unidentified persons resorted to aerial firing in Ancholi and forced shopkeepers to shut their shops. Later they blocked the Water Pump road, pelted stones at moving vehicles and also torched a truck, a dumper and damaged two mini-buses. Miscreants also torched a truck in front of the Liaquatabad police station, and a water tanker near Rizvia Chowrangi.
Till the filing of this report, Shah Faisal Colony, Ancholi and Rizvia were reportedly tense. However, no arrests have been made as yet by the police in this regard.
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9 vehicles torched in Karachi clashes
Updated at: 0500 PST, Sunday, April 19, 2009
KARACHI: As many as nine vehicles have been set ablaze and a person was killed near Phelwan Goth in Gulistan-e-Johar block 18 and 19 areas during the clashes between two rival groups which sparked panic among public while, unknown miscreants opened fire at traffic which resulted in traffic jam, police sources said.
According to sources, armed militants barged into Rabia City apartment, which destroyed streetlights and kept conducting suspected patrolling in the area.
In a mean time, fire brigade sources said they received reports of setting many vehicles on fire in Gulistan area but due to unavailability of police help, they could not dispatch fire tenders to fire scene as yet.
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Protestors terrorise citizens after MQM activist’s murder
KARACHI: Tension engulfed Gulberg after the killing of a Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activist.
According to details, 22-year-old Rizwan Abdus Salam was shot dead outside the grocery store he owned by unidentified motorcyclists late night on Friday in Federal B Area. The protestors burnt six shops and 16 stalls and stands in Khawasti Brohi Goth, while the whole area was terrorised with continuous firing.
According to the police, no cases have been registered against the protesters as none of the burnings took place within their jurisdiction. However, a case has been registered against the unidentified men who killed Salam. aaj kal report
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One killed, eight vehicles set alight in Pehlwan Goth
Monday, April 20, 2009
By Salis bin Perwaiz
Karachi
An Awami National Party (ANP) activist was shot dead by armed men in the Sharea Faisal police limits. Later, two political groups clashed in Pehlwan Goth for four hours. They torched eight vehicles, including a National Logistic Company (NLC) tanker, and damaged several shops and vehicles in the area.
Subsequently, on Sunday morning, Gulistan-e-Jauhar was completely paralysed and residents of Rabia City and other apartments continued to move to safer places due to continuous firing on late Saturday night. A heavy contingency of police and Rangers was present in the area. Sources said that the ANP has given two to three days time for the arrest of the killer of the ANP activist.
According to police sources, on Saturday night, some armed men belonging to a political group had a dispute with Shahrukh Rasool, an ANP activist, at a tea stall in Block-19, Gulistan-e-Jauhar. During the dispute, the rival political activists kidnapped Rasool.
In the meantime, hundreds of ANP activists blocked Pehlwan Goth, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, and informed the police that some activists belonging to a political group had kidnapped Rasool, and had called them to take his body from the area. The police searched three spots described by the ANP activists, but claimed to have found no trace of Rasool.
Eyewitnesses said that activists belonging to two political groups clashed at Pehlwan Goth and Rabia City. They blocked Jauhar Chowrangi, Pehlwan Goth and the road to the Airport. Passersby and shopkeepers ran for their lives when they heard gunfire.
They added that the protestors and miscreants attacked some shops and pelted stones at passing vehicles. Meanwhile, a mob stopped an NLC tanker (No. 88-1819), and set it on fire. Seven other vehicles were also torched. Residents of the area maintained that the firing between the two political groups lasted for more than three hours and it seemed that a regular war between two countries was on. On Sunday afternoon the funeral prayers for Rasool were conducted at Pehlwan Goth amid a very charged and tense atmosphere.
In a separate case, 25-year-old Hussain, a singer, was shot dead by armed men in the Peerabad police limits. The police said that Hussain lived in the Banaras Chowk area. Late Saturday night, he, along with his friends, was returning home in a rickshaw after performing at a musical function, when unidentified armed men opened indiscriminate fire. Hussain died on the spot, his friend, Zubair, was injured, and the armed men fled.
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9 vehicles set ablaze: ANP man’s killing sparks violence
By Imran Khan
KARACHI: Nine vehicles, including a water tanker, were burnt and windows of dozens of cars were smashed in Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Pehalwan Goth on late Saturday night and Sunday morning, after an Awami National Party (ANP) activist was kidnapped and later murdered.
According to details, 26-year-old ANP activist Shahrukh Ateeq Rasool was kidnapped around midnight from a teashop near his residence in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. Subsequently, the areas of Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Pehalwan Goth and Rabia City turned into battlegrounds, with a continuous exchange of fire between two groups.
The residents of the areas were confined to their homes, and the police and Rangers avoided the affected areas, besides not registering any cases against the protestors who damaged government property, including streetlights. The protesters also terrorised the citizens by aerial shooting and blocking the Pehalwan Goth-Jinnah International Airport intersection.
Meanwhile, unidentified men also entered into a flat situated in Rabia City and shot at Mohammad Shafeeq, 45, who, as a result, was severely wounded and was admitted to a hospital. The tension in the area prevented fire brigade vehicles from reaching the scene.
The situation worsened when the kidnappers dumped Rasool’s bullet-ridden body in the area at around 6:00 am. The deceased was taken to the Jinnah International Airport under tight security and his body was flown to his hometown for the funeral.
Resultantly, security was beefed up in the entire city, while SHOs of respective police stations have been asked to be present in their areas until the tension diffuses.
It is important to mention here that Gulistan-e-Jauhar has been the victim of unrest between two groups for the past one month and no action has been taken in this regard.
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5 more killed in Karachi violence
Updated at: 1120 PST, Thursday, April 30, 2009
KARACHI: Tension still grasped different localities of metropolis after overnight spate of violence.
Five more people were killed in fresh incidents of firing as more than 30 people including four police and Rangers personnel were injured. As many hotels, restaurants and vehicles torched during violent incidents.
An armed attack on a locality of North Karachi on Wednesday triggered violence on a large scale in central and eastern parts of Karachi.
In the North Karachi gunbattle, five people, including two activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), were killed, while several vehicles and 10 shops were torched.
Following the incident, target killings started in which several people lost their lives. Also, stalls and tea hotels were torched in several localities, including Sohrab Goth, Samanabad, Gulistan-e-Johar, New Karachi and other areas.
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Unrest continued in Karachi throughout last night
Updated at: 0400 PST, Thursday, April 30, 2009
KARACHI: The violence which started in Karachi Wednesday evening continued throughout the last night during which a number of hotels, shops and vehicles were set ablaze.
At least 21 people were killed and 22 others wounded as violence broke out in different parts of Karachi on Wednesday.
Shops and markers started to close early as the violence spread from one place to other.
The process of unending firing erupted in North Karachi where two activists of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were found shot dead. The police and rangers personnel, who reached the scene to calm down the situation, also caught up in the firing in which a Sub-inspector Moinur Rehman, Head Constable Sajjad and six others were injured.
In another incident, unknown persons set 10 vehicles ablaze in Bilal Colony while a 40-year-old Juma Khan was also gunned down.
In Sarjani Town and Shah Faisal Colony, unidentified gunmen shot dead two more persons, yet to be identified.
Security forces arrested 21 persons during a search operation launched in Khawaja Ajmir Nagri. Besides, more violence incidents were reported in Samanabad, Al-Asif Square and Hyderi.
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killed as violence grips Karachi
* Rioters torch vehicles, shops; Rangers and police fail to control situation
* Educational institutions closed today Zardari slams violence, Altaf appeals for peace
By Faraz Khan
KARACHI: At least 23 people, including political workers, were killed and several wounded on Wednesday as violence erupted in the capital of Sindh province after two MQM workers were allegedly killed by Pashtuns in North Karachi.
Various television channels, however, reported that at least 34 people had been killed.
The violence erupted in North Karachi when bodies of two MQM workers, Khalid and Mehmood, were found.
The city witnessed bloodshed in the ensuing riots, clashes and target killings. The violence quickly spread from North Karachi to other areas of the city and continued late into the night. Rival groups in these areas clashed with each other, and rioters killed several people. Passenger buses also came under attack in some incidents. Rioters set ablaze over 15 vehicles and torched several shops.
Rangers, police fail: Despite a joint flag march by the Rangers and police, the law-enforcement agencies were unable to bring the situation under control. Around 25 Pashtuns were detained after a two-hour door-to-door operation in Zareena Colony, North Karachi, while 14 more were detained in other areas. The law-enforcement agencies also claimed to have seized a huge cache of weapons. Dr Seemin Jamali, emergency department director at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), told Daily Times that eight bodies and nine injured people – three of whom later died – were brought to the hospital. Sources at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital told Daily Times that a total of 14 bodies were brought to the hospital – of which four were shifted to JPMC. Sources at Civil Hospital Karachi said that a passer-by gunned down in Teen Hatti was brought to the hospital. The Sindh chief minister has ordered stern action against those involved in the unrest, and called a meeting on Thursday to discuss the situation.
Institutions closed: Amid the riots, a private TV channel reported that the Sindh government has announced the closure of all education institutions on Thursday.
Zardari, Altaf: The electronic media also reported that President Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif have condemned the violence. MQM chief Altaf Hussain has appealed to the people of Karachi to ensure peace in the city. Witnesses told Daily Times that shots were heard from the hills of Pahar Ganj as a funeral procession was passing from the area. MQM workers Khalid and Mehmood rushed to the hills to take a look, but were shot and died immediately. The witnesses said that the firing was so intense that they were unable to recover the bodies of the two workers for the next two hours. Following the incident, clashes erupted and two pedestrians were shot dead near the same place where the MQM workers were killed.
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Violence erupts after 2 MQM workers slain: All hell breaks loose in city as 23 die in riots
By Faraz Khan
KARACHI: At least 23 people, including political workers, were killed and several others wounded on Wednesday, as violence erupted in the city after two MQM workers were allegedly killed by some Pakhtoon members of the land mafia in North Karachi.
The city witnessed bloodshed as riots, clashes and target killings ensued; the violence began in the afternoon in North Karachi, quickly spread across the city and continued till the night. Miscreants set ablaze over one-and-a-half dozen vehicles, including passenger buses, coaches, loading trucks and dumpers, while several shops were also set on fire.
Despite the joint flag march held on the directives of Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza by the Rangers and the police on Wednesday, the law enforcers failed to control the situation. Around 25 Pakhtoon miscreants were detained after a two-hour long door-to-door operation was conducted in the mountainous area of Zareena Colony, North Karachi, within the limits of Khawaja Ajmair Nagri police station, while 14 more were detained in other areas. The law enforcers claimed to have recovered a huge cache of weapons from the possession of the detained miscreants. The violence started from the said area when bodies of two MQM workers, Khalid and Mehmood, were discovered. The affected areas included Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Orangi Town, Banaras, Pahar Ganj, Sharah-e-Noor Jehan, Shah Faisal Colony, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Hyderi, North Nazimabad, North Karachi, Sohrab Goth, Federal ‘B’ Area, Drigh Road, Sarjani Town, Gadap Town and Abul Hassan Ispahani Road. In these areas, miscreants restored to firing, killed several people, rioted and clashed with each other. They even openly targeted passenger buses. In some of the areas, bodies of those people who were killed after being kidnapped were found.
Dr Seemin Jamali, emergency department director of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), told Daily Times that eight bodies and nine injured were brought to the hospital, while three persons died in the casualty ward. The bodies brought to JPMC were identified as Dost Ali, Jalil, Javed, Zahoor Shah, Deen Mohammad, an activist of MQM, and Sanobar Khan. She further said that she is not sure how many bodies were shifted to JPMC from the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH), adding that the body of Deen Mohammad was referred to ASH from JPMC.
Witnesses told Daily Times that a burial procession of an area resident was passing by when aerial firing was heard from the hills of Pahar Ganj. MQM workers Khalid and Mehmood rushed to the hill to monitor the firing and, as a result, they sustained bullet wounds and died on the spot. The witnesses added that the firing was so intense that they were unable to recover the bodies of the deceased activists and they were recovered after almost two hours.
Following the incident, firing from both sides started and two pedestrians were shot dead near the same place where the first incident took place. Thus, a series of firing incidents erupted in various areas, especially North Karachi, New Karachi, Banaras, Sohrab Goth, Abul Hassan Ispahani Road, Safura Goth, Quaidabad, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Shah Faisal Colony and Sarjani Town, where intense firing continued between the rival groups.
Sources in ASH told Daily Times that a total of 14 bodies were brought to hospital, out of which, four were shifted to the JPMC. Some of the bodies taken to ASH were identified as Mehmood Khalil, Mohammad Shahid, Ibrahim, Sanwal, Jamil Siddiq and Sarfaraz.
Sources in the Civil Hospital, Karachi said that a passerby, Mohammad Hanif, who was gunned down in Teen Hatti, within the limits of Jamshed Town police station, was brought to the hospital. Moreover, another man was killed when unidentified men fired at a passenger bus in Korangi at night, before setting two buses on fire.
Three more bodies were brought to various hospitals late at night.
Meanwhile, ANP Media Coordinator Qadir Khan told Daily Times that 12 of the people slain in the violence in city were their party activists.
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MQM RC condemns killing of party workers
KARACHI: The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) Rabita Committee (RC) condemned the killing of two MQM workers by members of the land mafia in Zareena Colony, Gulzar-e-Hijri. The committee said that terrorists, belonging to the land mafia, came from the mountainous area to Zareena Colony, situated within the jurisdiction of Gulzar-e-Hijri, and attacked the innocent party workers. The RC said that MQM has informed the government time and again about the nexus between terrorists of Taliban and the land mafia, however, the government has continuously ignored the party’s complaints and concerns. It further said that it was the government’s negligence that encouraged these terrorists to openly attack the residential areas and target innocent people and MQM workers in various areas of the city, adding that these terrorists also targeted law enforcement personnel including Rangers personnel. The MQM RC demanded President Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad and Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza to take immediate notice of the killings of MQM workers and the activities of the Taliban land mafia. The RC also urged MQM workers to remain calm and avoid retaliation. staff report
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Death toll rises to 33: Karachi still tense as riots continue
By Faraz Khan
KARACHI: The deployment of over 15,000 security personnel in the provincial capital on Thursday failed to bring the situation under control – a day after riots erupted in the port city – as the death toll from violence rose to 33.
With law-enforcement agencies patrolling Karachi, major markets remained closed and there was virtually no public transport on the roads. But the death toll continued to rise as seven people, who were injured in riots on Wednesday and were under treatment at various hospitals, died on Thursday and a Pashtun vendor was shot dead in Khokhrapar.
The number of those injured now stands at 50. Despite the shoot-at-sight orders by the prime minister and the heavy deployment of police and Rangers, rioters torched around 20 shops, five hotels, two warehouses and over 12 vehicles.
Firing broke out at the funeral of two Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activists –Khalid and Mehmood, whose alleged killing by Pashtuns on Wednesday triggered the riots – Khwaja Ajmair Nagri. There was no loss of life. At least 80 separate incidents have occurred across the city since Wednesday, but very few cases have actually been registered.
Around 60 suspects have been held in raids in various parts of the city. It is believed that the arrested men include political workers from the Awami National Party (ANP) and the MQM. The law-enforcement agencies patrolled Khawaja Ajmair Nagri, North Karachi, New Karachi, Sohrab Goth, Sarjani Town, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Shah Faisal Colony, Banaras, Orangi Town, Nazimabad, North Nazimabad and Gulshan-e-Iqbal among other areas.
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Will Karachi witness more violent clashes?
Friday, May 01, 2009
By Tahir Hasan Khan
Karachi
The recent spate of disturbances in the city was the third occurrence of ethnic clashes in the megapolis during the last three months. More than 25 people were killed in a single day, while many vehicles, tea shops and restaurants were destroyed and political parties, particularly the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Awami National Party (ANP), kept blaming each other for the violence.
Earlier, more than 50 people were killed in two separate waves of violence and the situation returned to normal after the efforts of the government and political parties. The recent wave of violence started after clashes in Gulistan-e-Jauhar between two groups. It later spread to the University of Karachi, with two rival student organizations targetting each other. Subsequently, the situation became tense in almost entire Karachi.
Political analysts view the clash between two ethnic groups as a “pilot project” for any future crisis. Analysts claim that such clashes will continue in the near future, as groups involved in this “war” want to build pressure on each other.
What was the purpose of this fighting? Different reasons have been put forward but a majority saw the influence of certain external forces who wanted to destroy the economic life of the country by stirring riots in the megapolis. Life in Karachi has been paralyzed in the past through ethnic and sectarian disturbances, and analysts claim that “external forces” would again exploit this situation.
The other reason behind the recent violence could be an attempt to stop the elements who want to strengthen their position in the city by promoting “Talibanization.” MQM chief Altaf Hussain has repeatedly claimed that the Taliban have reached Karachi, while the ANP repeatedly said that no Pashtun was involved in Taliban activities in the city.
Analysts point out that this crisis was damaging the efforts of President Asif Ali Zardari who started political reconciliation in the country. The clashes on ethnic lines in Karachi were destroying the plans of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led government. However, in order to maintain peace, coalition partners MQM and ANP have agreed to work together with the PPP-led government.
Senior Sindh Minister Pir Mazharul Haq had recently claimed that violence erupts in Karachi whenever the government tries to arrange a meeting between Altaf Hussain and Asfandyar Wali Khan. Haq alleged that the land mafia was involved in these clashes.
Wednesday’s violence, however, created an impression that the Sindh government has failed to maintain law and order and that, the PPP could not unite the coalition partners. Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza had claimed in Sindh Assembly during the last session that peace had been restored in Lyari due to the efforts of the government. The PPP eliminated one group from Lyari as part of its strategy and the whole area was given under the control of a rival criminal group, which also enjoys the backing of the provincial administration.
However, PPP’s federal minister Nabil Gabol, who was elected from Lyari as an MNA, claimed that the reason of this clash was the fighting between the land mafia and the builder mafia. Authorities claimed that a new group, headed by a builder, Hingora, belonging to Kuchchi community, has been formed and it refuses to pay extortion to Rehman Dakait. Heavy weapons, including rockets, were used in this clash and more than 10 people were killed.
Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah held a joint meeting of coalition partners on Thursday on the direction of President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. Sources said that rival MQM and ANP leaders blamed each other at the meeting, while officials claimed that the meeting was held successfully and it was decided that all efforts would be made to restore peace in the city.
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Threat of sectarian violence looms over city
By Faraz Khan
KARACHI: A sectarian organistion, declared outlawed in the regime of General Pervez Musharraf, has resumed its activities across the province especially in the city.
According to details, defunct sectarian organisations including Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and defunct Sipah-e-Mohammad Pakistan (SMP) are gaining strength day by day.
The putting up of flags, wall chalking and widely circulated hate literature, hints at the possibility of sectarian violence hitting the city in the near future, as various defunct sectarian organisations have restructured their setup across the province especially in the city.
It is pertinent to mention here that hundreds of their workers, detained for different cases, were released during the last few of months.
The recently held congregations are an example of the failing government policies as during Musharraf’s tenure even hoisting a flag was impossible.
Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) organised three majors gatherings while in the congregation held at Khuda Ki Basti, they showed up in sizeable numbers of approximately five to seven thousands.
SSP that been renamed as Millat-e-Islamia and Ahle-Sunnat-Wal-Jamat Pakistan (ASWJP) organised a procession, where hundreds of workers were seen carrying old SSP flags, chanting their conventional slogans against their rival sects.
Participants of the procession arrived from across the city holding SSP flags openly chanting slogans against their rival sects and in favour of their solidarity.
The second last congregation held at Siddique-e-Akbar flock declared that the masjid is headquarters of the SSP once again and the workers took oath there.
Interestingly, time by time, the high ups of the police departments and the Sindh government has also been informed but the law enforcement agencies are unable to take any action without a clear government policy. “We are helpless as the government still has not cleared its policy regarding the banned religious outfits that are getting stronger,” said an official on the condition of anonymity. “There is a high possibility of sectarian clashes erupting in the near further. If they erupt they would end in disaster.”
Disputed wall-chalking and widely circulated literature from defunct organisations may flare up sectarian violence once again. He pointed out that SSP used to target only the Shia sect as an enemy but now there is possibility of a clash between the Sunni Tehreek and SSP.
It has also been learned that many of the defunct organisations have recently reestablished their offices in different parts of the city including Shah Faisal Colony, Mehmoodabad and Khuda Ki Basti to name a few.
It has also been learnt that tension between rival sects is increasing, as they have been attacking each other in various parts of the country including Dera Ismail Khan, Parachanar and in southern Punjab.
A source pointed out that the recent killing of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi’s (LJ) mastermind Mazharul Hassan within the limits of Preedy police station on April 15 was once the beginning of sectarian violence. Earlier on April 14, six people belonging to a religious organisation in the Gulberg area were targeted and wounded by the rival group.
A source further pointed out that the recent killing of the president of Timber Market Izat Khan along with two of his companions on February 24, in front of Safari Park was in retaliation to sectarian violence of Parachanar. The source further said that assailants had arrived in Karachi from Parachanar to assassinate Khan because he had allegedly played a role in the Parachanar sectarian violence.
A 10-page copy of a widely circulated hate literature obtained by Daily Times, argued on the basis of pictures that there isn’t any difference between the Qadyani (Ahmedis) and Shia.
It is pertinent to mention here that pictures were disgraceful to the sahaba (companions of Hazrat Muhammad PBUH) which is enough for people to draw blood. Furthermore, recently wall chalking by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Mohammad Pakistan and SSP can be seen in various parts of the city including Lyari, Patail Para, Banaras, Orangi Town, Malir, Landhi, Ancholi, Soldier Bazaar, Sohrab Goth, Surjani Town, Shah Faisal Town and various other areas. Not only SSP but wall chalking by Sipah-e-Muhammad has also been seen in areas such as Ancholi, Soldier Bazaar, Malir and Shah Faisal Colony which could be a reaction to the graffiti by the SSP while SMP have still not held any massive gatherings.
The fact that the situation is getting serious can be judged by the fact that SSP flags have been hoisted in various parts of the city, painting a bloody picture for the city’s future.
The black color flag inscribed with ‘Sirf Yah Allah Maddad’ above the picture of a Kalashnikov can be seen at various mosques and offices of the SSP.
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15 Activists including Two Muttahida activists shot dead
Sunday, June 07, 2009
By our correspondent
Karachi
Various political workers target-killed: CCPO Karachi
Updated at: 1614 PST, Sunday, June 07, 2009
KARACHI: Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Karachi Waseem Ahmed said the operatives of various political parties were target-killed, Geo News reported Sunday.
The CCPO Waseem said the cause of these target-killings is the increasing tension among various political parties.
Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik has convened a meeting on law and order in Karachi, he added.
Two activists of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were shot dead in Shah Faisal Colony and Awami Colony police limits, while the bullet-riddled body of a man was found from Korangi Industrial Area and a bike rider was crushed to death in Sharafi Goth on Saturday.
According to MQM sources, Ajmal Moin (39) was sitting at his cellphone shop in Shah Faisal Colony No-3 in the afternoon when two armed men riding a motorcycle appeared there and shot him dead. The area people rushed Moin to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where the doctors said that the deceased received bullet wounds in his chest and legs.
After the incident, MQM leaders and Rabitta Committee members Shoaib Bukhari, Saif Yar Khan and Sheikh Mohammed Afzal along with party activists reached the hospital and launched a protest, demanding for the immediate arrest of the killers.
Shoaib Bukhari and other MQM leaders said that it was the fourth incident of target killing of MQM activists during the past few days. Ealier, unidentified terrorists had killed Khalid Ansari in Malir, Mohammed Arshad in Scheme-33 and their Pakhtoon activist Khan Sher Khan in Sohrab Goth area, but the culprits were still at large.
Ajmal Moin was an activist of MQM’s Unit-105, Shah Faisal Colony Sector. The deceased was the resident of Shah Faisal Colony No-1 and he started cellphone business after returning from South Africa about four months before. The deceased has left behind a widow, a son and a daughter.
After Moin’s killing the entire Shah Faisal Colony was closed and aerial firing was reported in the area.
In another incident, Farooq (35) was shot dead while Iffat Ali was injured in Awami Colony police limits. Farooq was sitting along with his neighbour Iffat outside his house in Landhi-36-B, Awami Colony late night, when two armed men riding a motorcycle came there and opened indiscriminate firing.
Farooq was jobless and an activist of MQM’s Unit-84, Landhi. He has left behind two children. Iffat received a bullet wound on his leg. He was taken to a private hospital for treatment. After the incident, Landhi area was closed and aerial firing was reported from the area.
In another case, the bullet-riddled body of Gul Mohammed was found from Allahwala Town in Korangi Industrial Area (KIA) police limits. The deceased was the resident of Sector-6G, Mehran Town, KIA.
According to SHO KIA Abid Tanoli, Gul Mohammed was a respectable person of the area and a few weeks ago he along with other people residing in huts had decided to construct cement houses on the land. However, one of the neighbours Fatima opposed their plan and threatened Gul of dire consequences.
Gul Mohammed had gone out for some work on Friday night but did not return. Police lodged an FIR on the complaint of his brother Ghulam Murtaza who nominated Fatima and Asif for the murder. Police conducted a raid and arrested Fatima, however, she denied murdering Gul. Further probe was underway.
KARACHI: At least four people including two women were seriously injured in firing incident near Malir Bridge, media reported Sunday.
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Seventeen die in Karachi ‘targeted killings’ during June
Sunday, 07 Jun, 2009 | 01:35 PM PST
KARACHI: At least 17 people have been killed in the first week of June in Karachi. During the early hours of Sunday, a local leader of the MQM-Haqiqi became the latest victim, DawnNews reported.
According to police sources, gunmen barged into the house of Saleem Knight, head of the MQM-Haqiqi Lawyers’ Wing in Jamshed Town. Indiscriminate firing killed Saleem, while his wife and daughter received bullet injuries.
According to senior police officials, the MQM claims five of their activists, while Haqiqi claims ten of their workers have been targeted. Meanwhile, at least one worker of the PPP and the Shabab-i-Milli have also been killed.
Areas such as Landhi, Malir, Shah Faisal, Korangi, Lyari, and Jamshed Town have remained tense in the wake of this violence.
Police would not disclose who could be behind the murders but attributing political sources they claim varying reasons. MQM Haqiqi claims it is a backlash of an imminent release of Afaq Ahmed and Amir Khan.
The deputy convener of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Dr Farooq Sattar said that the MQM is being targeted for raising its voice against Talibanisation and the government should probe into these killings.
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MQM and Haqiqi men shot dead
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Karachi: Two more political activists were gunned down in separate acts of violence in the city. Ajmal Moin alias Lalu, who was affiliated with the MQM, was shot dead at his mobile phone shop located in Shah Faisal Colony No 3, within the limits of Shah Faisal Colony police station. Soon after the incident, tension gripped Shah Faisal Colony and its adjacent areas where unidentified armed men resorted to aerial firing and forced the shopkeepers to shut their shops. There were some unconfirmed reports that the residents of Hazara Colony resisted when unknown men tried to suspend routine and commercial life there and opened fire, as result of which two people got injured in the crossfire. However, Shah Faisal Colony SP Abdul Qayyum Patafi said no crossfire incident occurred in the area but one civilian named Suleman was wounded when unknown persons restored to firing after the killing of MQM Ajmal. DSP Shafi Rind said that the deceased was a resident of Shah Faisal Colony No 1 and affiliated with Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). The incident took place on Saturday while Ajmal was sitting in his shop. Two men riding a motorbike came there and opened indiscriminate fire on him and fled from the scene. His body was taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for legal formalities. No case was registered till the time this report was filed. MQM’s coordination committee condemned the killing of Ajmal, adding that MQM is being punished for raising a voice against Talibanisation. They asked the president, PM and interior minister to take notice of the target killings. MQM vowed that it cannot be forced to change its upright stand against the Taliban. Meanwhile, Babar Rasheed, son of Abdul Rasheed, a former Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) worker was shot dead by two unidentified motorbike riders within limits of Model Colony police station. The injured was taken to JPMC where he succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment. Police has registered a case against unknown culprits on the complaint of deceased’s brother Ahsan Rasheed. staff report
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36 more died in Karachi target killings
The death toll from the recent unrest in the southeastern Pakistani city of Karachi has risen to thirty two, police says.
Five other people were also wounded in attacks in different parts of Karachi after clashes between rival political groups entered a second day on Monday.
The casualties were reported in Shah Faisal Colony, Landhi area, Khokhrapar and Madina Colony. In one incident, unknown gunmen opened fire on two men sitting outside their home in Old Haji Camp, killing both on the spot.
In another incident of violence, gunmen attacked a family of three in Landi, killing the father and injuring the mother and her daughter, a Press TV correspondent reported.
Earlier reports had put the death toll from the violence dubbed "targeted tit-for-tat shootings" at 19.
Police say several people have been arrested on suspicion of having a role in recent attacks in Karachi, which has a history of ethnic and religious violence.
HE/SC/MMN
* Five men linked to MQM-H among deceased
* 29 politically motivated killings during first week of June
By Faraz Khan
KARACHI: The capital of Sindh witnessed a day of bloodshed on Sunday, as 13 people, including 10 members of various political parties, were murdered in 12 separate incidents.
The number of political activists murdered in target killings during the first week of June has now reached 29. Police officials told Daily Times they believed the situation could worsen unless the Home Department intervenes and re-establishes the government’s control in the city.
MQM-H targeted: Sunday’s unrest started early in the morning when unidentified gunmen barged into the house of Salimuddin — a legal adviser for the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) — within the limits of Jamshed Quarters Police Station and killed him, while injuring his wife Farida, and daughter Sehrish. His daughter has filed a first information report (FIR) against unidentified persons. Another murder believed to be a political killing was that of Nadeem Khan, whose brother, Moin, is a unit incharge of MQM-H. Khan was also shot dead by unidentified assailants. Forty-year-old Naseem Ahmed, a member of the MQM-H eldersrs’ wing, was also killed at his house, while his wife, Seema, was injured in the attack.
In Malir City, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a taxi, killing 28-year-old Noman, and injuring his brother, Zeeshan, and mother, Nasima. Police said the attack might have been politically motivated, as Zeeshan was the former bodyguard of MQM-H Chairman Afaq Ahmed. The body of MQM-H activist Hassan Ali was found near Azeem Pura graveyard, while the body of a fruit vendor, Shehzad, was found in Korangi. Shehzad was also a former activist of the MQM-H.
Other parties: In Korangi Industrial Area’s Mehran Town, a rift between two groups over the encroachment of government land resulted in the death of 14-year-old Hardeen Khan. His family has nominated activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Raees Mama, Naeem Gadha, Asif and Hussain, in the FIR. Local leaders of the Jeay Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party, meanwhile, have claimed the deceased was a party worker. At Eidgah, near old Haji Camp, 40-year-old Faqeer Muhammad and Razaullah alias Pappu were killed by unidentified people. Razaullah was a transporter, but police sources said Faqeer had been an MQM worker. A friend, Yaseen, was also injured in the shooting. Unidentified assailants also killed a daily wager, Jamil Khan, on Sunday. Police believe this killing to be politically motivated, as Khan was a supporter of the Awami National Party.
Also on Sunday, Shakeel Naata was killed while his associate Imran, alias Para, was injured. Police claim the two were robbers who turned their guns on each other when they started fighting over the distribution of their loot. There were also reports that the two were MQM-H workers, but party leaders have refuted the claims. Police also found the gagged bodies of two unidentified men.
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Three more perish in Karachi target killing incidents
Updated at: 0600 PST, Tuesday, June 09, 2009
KARACHI: Unknown militants have killed three more people during incidents of target killing here on early Tuesday, police sources said.
According to police sources, unidentified bike riders opened fired on a young man who was playing Carom with friends near Al-Azam Square in Liaqatabad locality, sources added.
The youth was later identified as 30-year-old Ali Abbas, the resident of Gulshan-e-Iqbal area and was employeed at a local bank here, sources added.
The second firing incident occurred near Alladin Park wherein two motorcycle riders opened fire killing two persons on the occasion, sources revelaed.
One of two deceased persons was a former political activist, relatives added.
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Political violence continues
Six more activists perish in target killings
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
By Salis bin Perwaiz
Karachi
Six activists belonging to the Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were killed on Monday in separate incidents in the city.
In the recent spate of target killings, unidentified people attacked the residence of Bilawal House Chief Security Officer Bilal Sheikh, in Gulbahar, in which three people were killed and Sheikh’s security officer was injured.
Sources said that due to the continuous spate of target killings, Rangers personnel had been given the affected areas of East Zone which includes Shah Faisal Colony, Korangi, Khokharapar, Landhi, Saudabad, and Malir. There were also reports that the Sindh Rangers personnel had constructed check posts in these localities and were operating with the coordination of local police.
Abdul Naeem, 35-year-old Basheer (alias Sheera), and 11-year-old Alam were shot dead, while Irfan Commando, a security guard of Bilal Sheikh, was shot at and injured in the Gulbahar police limits.
Police sources said that on Monday afternoon five armed men riding motorcycles attacked Bilal Sheikh’s residence in Khamosh Colony and resorted to indiscriminate firing.
Due to the continuous firing, Abdul Naeem, an activist of MQM-H was killed, while Basheer, Alam, and Irfan were injured. The criminals fled the scene and passerby and supporters shifted the dead and injured to the Abbasi Shaheed hospital, where Basheer and Alam were pronounced dead, while Irfan was referred to the Aga Khan University Hospital.
During inquiry, it was found that Abdul Naeem was an activist of MQM-H and a resident of Nazimabad, while Basheer was a resident of Pak Colony and was a juice vendor running his stall in Khamosh Colony. Alam was standing at Basheer’s stall when he fell victim to the firing. Furthermore, Irfan is an ex-activist of the MQM-H and is presently working for the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
In another case, Saifullah Haq Siddiqi was shot dead by armed men in the Shamim Shaheed police limits.
Police sources said that Siddiqi was a resident of Gol Market and an employee of the City District Government Karachi (CDGK).
During investigation it was found that Siddiqi went to offer Fajr prayers when armed men riding a motorcycle shot and killed him, and fled. The deceased was an activist of MQM-H. A case was registered at the police station.
Twenty-five-year-old Amir Zaib, an activist of the MQM-H, was shot dead by armed men in the Landhi police limits. The police said that the victim was a resident of Landhi 37-D, and went out to Babar Market, when armed motorcycle riders opened indiscriminate fire, killing Zaib on the spot, and fled. The deceased was an activist of the MQM-H and came to the area to celebrate June 19 which was the Foundation Day of the MQM-H. A case was reported at the police station.
In yet another case, 45-year-old Fahimuddin was shot dead by armed men in the Liaquatabad police limits. The police said that the deceased was the resident of Sikandarabad. On Monday morning he was heading home on his motorcycle, when armed men opened indiscriminate fire at him was near Sajid Decoration, Liaquatabad No-6. Fahim died on the spot, and his attackers fled.
Forty-four-year-old Khwaja Sibtain Raza, an activist of the MQM was shot dead by armed men in the Jauharabad police limits. Police sources said that the deceased was a resident of Block-9, F.B. Area. On Monday afternoon he went outdoors for some work.
When was near Wahaj hospital, two armed men riding a motorcycle shot and killed him and fled. The deceased was a member of MQM Buzurg committee. A case was registered at the police station.
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KARACHI: At least 36 people, including the activists of political parties besides common men, have been killed during fresh wave of firing and target killing incidents here in metropolis by Monday, Geo news reported.
The Home Minister Sindh Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza chaired a meeting here at Central Police Office wherein it was decided that culprits, having involvement in the incidents, will be dealt with iron hands.
According to sources, a person was shot dead in North Karachi area, 4 other persons were gunned down in Khamosh Colony near Bismillah Hotel while unknown militants killed 25-years-man in Baloch Colony area on Monday during last 24 hours.
Six more people perished in various other incidents of violence in separate localities in city, sources added.
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MQM-H slams killing of party workers
Staff Report
KARACHI: Mohajir Qaumi Movement–Haqiqi (MQM-H) Vice Chairman Younis Khan has condemned the killings of his party’s workers as well as the torture on the families of MQM-H activists. In a statement issued on Monday, Khan, a former MPA, claimed that 20 MQM-H activists including women were killed by terrorists during the past six days including the party’s lawyer wing member Saleemuddin and Zeeshan Baig, chief security guard of party chairman Aamir Khan. He said that the government’s silence on the killings of MQM-H activists was tantamount to its failure and was rather encouraging the terrorists to continue their activities.
He asked the government that if it was unable to protect the MQM-H party workers and sympathisers, then it should shift the MQM-H activists to camps anywhere in the country so that their lives are safe. Khan demanded of President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and the COAS to play their role in putting an end to the killings of MQM-H workers.
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Tuesday, July 07, 2009
3 MQM-H men killed in separate incidents
KARACHI: Three men associated with the Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) were gunned down in separate incidents of target killings on Monday. As per details, Nadeem alias Chitta, 32, son of Sa’dat Ali was shot dead when he was standing outside a store at Chandni Chowk, within the limits of Paposh Nagar police post. Terming it as target killing, police officials said the victim received multiple bullets in his body. He was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for legal formalities. No case was registered till this report was filed. In another incident, the body of a middle aged man was found from Ammar Yar Society within the limits of Malir City police station. The body was shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for legal formalities where the victim was identified as Haider, 40, son of Aziz. He was a resident of Khokhrapar area and the father of four children. Police officials said the deceased was shot thrice including once in the face, suggesting that this too was a target killing. The deceased used to work in a textile factory and the incident took place soon after he left his house for work. A case has been registered against unidentified people. In the early hours of Monday, Shahid, 30, son of Naseem was shot dead by unknown persons in Regal Chowk within the limits of Preedy police station. Police officials said that the deceased used to work as a newspaper hawker and was the father of three children. His body was taken to Civil Hospital Karachi from where his family took it away after the legal formalities were completed. MQM-H (Amir Khan Group) Information Secretary Feroz Haider while talking to Daily Times claimed that all three victims were his party workers and were killed by the rival group. staff report
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Battlefield Landhi
By Faraz Khan
KARACHI: The whole of Landhi echoed with gunshots and clouds of tear gas smoke billowed from various parts of the area on Tuesday as the riots that erupted on Monday night following the murder of two brothers in a robbery bid grew worse.
Following the murder of two brothers Rashid, 36, and Sajid, 31, who lost their lives resisting a robbery bid at their shop in Landhi No 4 just opposite to the Landhi police station, a heavy deployment of law enforcers including Rangers personnel was unable to bring the situation under control as the town became somewhat of a battlefield. Shopkeepers in the area closed down their businesses and protested against police, However they started rioting when police refused to register a case of the dual killing.
On Monday, they burnt tyres on roads and pelted passing vehicles with stones. A heavy contingent of law enforcers reached the spot and tried to disperse the crowd but the mob also attacked the law enforcers and then went on to attack the Landhi police station.
They surrounded the police station and policemen present inside were stuck for several hours. They protesters only backed out after several police high-ups and political and non-political personalities calmed them down and assured them that the culprits would be arrested.
Shopkeepers and residents of Landhi continued their protest on Tuesday and blocked roads and shouted slogans against the police. The angry protesters tried to attack the Landhi police station twice since Monday, exacerbating the clash between law enforcers and scores of angry area residents.
On Tuesday, the funeral prayers for the victims were offered at Rangers Ground in Landhi No 3 1/2 and then they were laid to rest in the Haji Ismail Goth Graveyard in Landhi No 2 in the presence of hundreds of people. On the occasion, a heavy contingent of law enforcers including Rangers’ personnel, were deployed in the entire area to avoid any untoward incident. However, the situation turned violent again after the participants of the funeral returned from the graveyard. They tried to attack the Landhi police station again but were stopped by a heavy contingent of law enforcers. An angry mob started rioting and clashed with law enforcers. During the clash, the mob pelted the police and Rangers with stones and damaged several of their vehicles. The law enforcers including plainclothes personnel restored to aerial firing as well as used baton charge and tear gas to control the mob. Meanwhile, the area residents who were in their houses faced immense difficulties due to the situation.
Later, the situation calmed down when General Secretary Anjuman-e-Falah-e-Behbood Ansari Community Zainuddin Ansari negotiated with the law enforcers and other high officials. He assured that his community was not involved in rioting. Later, after the passage of almost 22 hours, police registered a case of dual murder against unidentified culprits on Ansari’s behalf.
DSP Choudhry Anwar Ali said a case has been registered and a probe had been initiated into the dual killing. “The culprits would be arrested soon,” he assured. The officer claimed that some political partiers were trying to manipulate the issue, however, the situation was under control.
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Two MQM-H men slain
KARACHI: Two more people associated with the Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) were shot dead in separate target killings on Saturday. As per details, 27-year-old Mohammad Asif, son of Sami Khan, was shot dead in an incident of target killing when he was standing outside his house located in Reta Plot, Shah Faisal Colony no 3, within the limits of Shah Faisal Colony police station, with his father, when two men came riding a motorbike, opened indiscriminate fire and fled. He received three bullets and died on the spot. His body was taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for legal formalities. DSP Shafi Rind said that the deceased used to work in a carpet factory located in the area. However, police sources said that the deceased was a former activist of MQM-H, who had left the party after submitting an apology letter to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), although MQM-H (Amir Khan Group) Information Secretary Feroz Haider claimed that the deceased was affiliated with his party. No case was registered when this report was filed. Earlier, another MQM-H man, namely Mohammad Haseen, 29, son of Iftikhar, was shot dead near his residence in Malir, within the limits of Khokhrapar police station. His body was taken to JPMC. Haider said that the deceased was a former Unit Committee member and was presently associated with the MQM-H Unit 98. He said that at least 75 of his party workers have been killed since June. Moreover, an MQM worker named Sadiq, son of Jalal, who had received bullets around three days ago, succumbed to his injuries at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital on Saturday while receiving treatment. Police officials said that the victim was targeted by unknown culprits near his residence located in Gulshan-e-Hadeed, within the limits of Steel Town police station. After his death, tension prevailed in the area, as the deceased was associated with MQM’s Bin Qasim Sector. staff report
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Death toll in Karachi targeted killing climbs to 13
Updated at: 0530 PST, Sunday, July 12, 2009
KARACHI: The death tally in targeted killing incidents here in metropolis has mounted to 13 including a policeman in last 24 hours, according to Geo news.
According to police sources, four persons were shot dead and one injured by armed miscreants in Liaqatabad and Ghasmandi localities on Sunday.
Earlier, eight persons were killed in separate areas here during firing incidents including a police inspector on Saturday.
Those gunned down included Waseem, Haseeb, Ateeq son of Rafiq, Nazim son of Azam, Asadullah, Asif son of Sameer Khan and others.
Police termed all shooting incidents as targeted killings while the spokesman to Muhajir Qaumi Movement (MQM) said all killed persons were their party’s activists whereas Sunni Tehreek (ST) said also its one activist fell victim to these incidents.
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Five MQM-Haqiqi activists killed in Karachi
Sunday, July 12, 2009
By Salis bin Perwaiz
KARACHI: Unidentified armed men killed five activists of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM-Haqiqi) in separate incidents here on Saturday.
Muhammad Asif, 32, was shot dead by armed men in the Shah Faisal Colony police limits. Police sources said the deceased was present in a shop near Reeta Plot when two armed men, riding a motorcycle, opened fire on him, killing him on the spot.
Separately, four gunmen, riding a motorbike, opened fire on three persons in the Model Colony police limits.
One of the victims died on the spot, while the other two were shifted to the Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC), where they succumbed to their injuries. The dead were identified as Asad, Atiq Ahmed and Lazim Khan.
The police sources said the dead were friends and were sitting at a footpath situated at the Abbasi Market, Model Colony, when the armed men opened fire on them.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Waseem, 35, was shot dead by gunmen in the Preedy police limits.
The police sources said Waseem was working at a bookshop situated in the Urdu Bazaar. At the time of closing the shop, two armed men, riding a motorcycle, shot him dead on the spot. He received five bullets wounds on various parts of his body. The police have registered cases and started investigation.
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KARACHI: Twelve persons including a policeman were killed in various shooting incidents in Karachi while five others were injured.
12 killed in Karachi firing
Unknown armed men gunned down a policeman Arshad and injured a pedestrian in Eidgah police jurisdiction.
In another firing incident near Aleempura graveyard in Shah Faisal Colony an activist of Sunni Tehrik was killed, while two persons Azeemuddin 40, and another man were gunned down in New Karachi’s Mubeena Colony.
Meanwhile, a man Shaukat Mushtaq was killed and his brother and a relative were injured in firing near Erum Bakery in Liaquatabad. Two persons were killed and two were injured in firing incidents in Urdu Bazaar and Model Colony.
Moreover, two persons were murdered in Shah Faisal Colony-3 and Saudabad.
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16 killed in Karachi in 24 hours
KARACHI: At least 16 people – six of them from various political parties and two from the Police Department – fell victim to target killings in Karachi in 24 hours between Saturday and Sunday.
At least 11 people – one MQM worker, one Sunni Tehreek (ST) worker and four Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) workers – were killed on Sunday, while five people, including three MQM-H, workers were killed on Saturday.
Meanwhile, a DSP and five SHOs have been suspended for being negligent in duty. However, none of the target killings took place in the jurisdictions of the suspended officers. On Sunday, two brothers – who were associated with the MQM-H – were shot dead by unidentified motorcyclists in Liaquatabad.
In New Karachi, an MQM-H worker’s body was dumped outside an Edhi centre.
MQM-H worker Wasim was shot dead near Burnes Road. In Shah Faisal Colony, an ST activist – a former MQM-H activist – was killed.
An MQM worker and a police constable were shot dead near Timber Market.
The body of a man was found in a sack near Karachi Civil Hospital. The man is reportedly a friend of a CID official whose body was found in Kharadar area, also on Sunday. A man was gunned down near Abdullah Heights.
In Peerabad area, unidentified men broke into Usman Rafiq’s house and shot him. The body of an unidentified man was found at a bus stop in Korangi. Those killed on Saturday, including another CID official, were targeted in Shah Faisal Colony, Khokhrapar, Model Colony and Kharadar. faraz khan
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Nine killed in spate of drive-by shootings
By Our Staff Reporter
Monday, 13 Jul, 2009 | 10:48 AM PST |
People offer funeral prayers for a Sunni Tehreek worker who was killed in firing by unknown assailants. Chairperson ST Sarwat Ejaz Qadri is also seen in the picture. – Online photo
Metropolitan
KARACHI: Nine people, including at least three political party activists, were killed in various incidents of violence across the city in the last 24 hours.
Two men were killed and one was wounded when unidentified suspects sprayed them with bullets in Model Colony late on Saturday night.
Police said that Atiq, Nazim Khan and Asadullah were sitting at Hashim Raza Road in the limits of the Model Colony police station, when unknown persons riding on a motorcycle opened fire on them and then escaped.
The injured were rushed to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where Atiq and Nazim Khan were pronounced dead while Asad was admitted for treatment. Police have registered an FIR (No 162/2009) under Sections 302/34 and 324 of the PPC at the Model Colony police station against unknown suspects. Police said that the political affiliations of the victims were not immediately known.
In an incident in the limits of the Eidgah police station, a policeman and another man were killed by unknown persons.
A duty officer at the Eidgah police station said that the incident occurred near Ghas Mandi, near Ramzan Weighbridge, where unknown persons riding a motorcycle opened fire on Yaseen and Mohammad Ramzan, the head constable posted at the Sir Syed police station.
Police say it is not yet clear who the suspects’ target was.
The incident occurred near a rummy club, and police registered a case (FIR No 158/2009) under Section 302/34 at the Eidgah police station.
Yaseen was reported to be an activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, but police said that his political affiliation could not be confirmed.
In Liaquatabad, a man was killed and two others were injured when unknown suspects opened fire on them near the furniture market late on Saturday night.
A duty officer at the Sharifabad police station said that Shaukat died in the firing, while Liaquat and his son Adeel sustained gunshot wounds when unknown persons riding a motorcycle sprayed them with bullets.
The body of the dead man and the injured were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
Police didn’t confirm the political affiliation of the victims, saying that they were meat merchants. FIR No 113/2009 under Sections 302, 324/34 was registered at the Sharifabad police station.
An activist of the Sunni Tehreek was killed by unknown persons in Al Falah, Malir, late on Saturday night.
Police said that Abid Beg, 25, a resident of Block 5 of Shah Faisal Colony, was traveling on his motorcycle when he reached the gate of the Azeempura graveyard. Unidentified suspects then opened fire on him.
The victim suffered a single bullet wound in the head and died on the spot. His body was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for a post-mortem examination.
In Shah Faisal Colony, an activist of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (Haqiqi) was killed by unknown suspects on Saturday night.
Police said that Mohammad Asif was standing near his house in Shah Faisal Colony No 3 when unknown suspects on motorcycles came and sprayed him with bullets. The suspects managed to escape while resorting to aerial firing.
The victim was rushed to the JPMC where he was pronounced dead.
Earlier on, another activist of the MQM-H was killed in the Aram Bagh area, police said.
Waseem Ahmed, a government servant, used to do a part-time job at a book stall in Urdu Bazaar. On Saturday night, unknown suspects came to the shop and opened fire on him, shooting him in the head. The suspects then managed to escape.
Also late on Saturday night, the body of a young man stuffed in a gunny bag was found near the Urdu College, close to the Civil Hospital. Police said that the victim’s body bore marks of torture. The victim could not be identified. Following legal formalities, the body was shifted to the Edhi morgue for identification.
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Saturday, July 25, 2009
JSQM man’s killing ignites riots in city
By Faraz Khan
KARACHI: The divisional president of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mohaz (JSQM) was killed and another man was injured when assailants opened fire at a JSQM rally near Safoora Goth within Malir Cantt police limits on Friday.
One of the assailants was also killed while another sustained injuries and was arrested in the incident.
JSQM Chairman Bashir Khan Qureshi has announced a two-day wheel-jam strike and seven days of mourning across the Sindh over the assassination of the JSQM leader.
As per details, the incident took place when the JSQM rally headed by Qureshi, was passing Safoora Goth to stage a protest demonstration at Super Highway, Sohrab Goth against the killing of their party’s worker, Zulfiqar Mallah, who was gunned down on July 15 within the limits of Sachal police station. In the FIR registered Awami National Party (ANP) workers Ataullah, Anwar and Ashiq were nominated.
Shah Faisal Town SP Abdul Qayyum Patafi told Daily Times that two of the four assailants restored to aerial firing first when the participants of the rally reached Safoora Chowrangi and then they opened indiscriminate firing, using a Kalashnikov, on Qureshi’s car.
As a result, Mushtaq Khaskheli, JSQM’s president for the Thatta division, who was in Qureshi’s car, sustained bullets wounds and died shortly after the incident while another JSQM worker was also wounded.
The JSQM activists returned the fire, killing one of the attacker, who was identified as Syed Mustafa Zahid Baloch and injured his accomplice named Ejaz, who was later arrested by the police. The bodies and the injured were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for legal formalities and medical treatment.
Following the incident, tension and fear gripped various parts of the city, including Safoora Goth, Sachal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Sohrab Goth, Abul Hassan Isphani Road, Shah Faisal, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Baldia and Lyari. Unknown persons restored to aerial firing that suspended routine and commercial life while unidentified miscreants set a coach ablaze at the National Highway and also it for hours. An angry mob barged into a petrol pump at Safoora Goth, deprived its staff of cash and also tried to damage the pump by torching it.
Sources have said that the arrested assailant was repeatedly changing his statements. They further said motorcycle on which the culprits came carried a Faisalabad registration plate. The motorcycle, however, was set ablaze by JSQM workers following the incident.
The sources have claimed that official cards of intelligence agencies were recovered from the possession of the deceased and arrested assailants. But the SP Patafi declined to comment in this regard.
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Killing of JSQM man sparks protests
By Tahir Siddiqui
Saturday, 25 Jul, 2009 | 05:00 AM PST |
A large number of people gather on New Pul, Hyderabad during a demonstration in reaction to firing on Jiye Sindh Qaumi Mahaz Leader Bashir Khan Qureshi in Karachi.
KARACHI: The Thatta district chief of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz and a suspected attacker were killed on Friday afternoon in an attack on the car of the party’s central chairman, Bashir Khan Qureshi, near Race Course Ground in the remit of the Malir Cantt police station, witnesses and police said.
They said that the party chief, who was sitting in the front seat of his golden Toyota Saloon (AQC-681), however, remained unhurt and Mushtaq Ahmed Khaskheli was killed instantly when at around 4.50pm four attackers on two motorcycles sprayed them with volleys of bullets fired by AK-47 (Kalashnikov) rifles and pistols.
They said that the JSQM leaders and workers in 10 cars and a dozen buses, led by their chief, were on their way to join a rally on the Superhighway against the killing of a party worker, Zulfiqar Mallah, on July 15 at Sikandar Goth, and the police failure to arrest the suspects named in the FIR.
The witnesses said that one of the attackers was killed and the other wounded when Mr Qureshi’s guards in another vehicle returned fire. They said that that the two other attackers rode away amid heavy fire when they saw two of their accomplices having been hit and overpowered.
Waqas Memon, the finance secretary of the Jeay Sindh Student Federation, who was in one of the vehicles in the convoy, said that two attackers on a motorcycle overtook the party chairman’s car and the pillion rider, armed with an AK-47 rifle, fired a burst of bullets at the car from the left side.
‘The guards on a vehicle behind the chairman’s car retaliated and hit the two attackers,’ he said, adding that one of the attackers received bullet wounds and died on the spot, while the other was wounded after he was beaten up by the party men.
He said that the party workers recovered the identity cards of the attackers which showed they were sub-inspectors in an intelligence agency.
He said that the JSQM chief, who later held a press conference at a party office in Sachal Goth, also distributed the photocopies of the attackers’ identity cards among the newsmen.
The killed suspect was identified as Syed Mustafa Zahid alias Taifi Bhai and the wounded suspect as Zulfiqar.
Sub-Inspector Mohammed Sultan of the Malir Cantt police told Dawn that the wounded man earlier identified himself as Ijaz, then he told the police his names as Rehan, Javed and Zulfiqar. He said that the identity cards of the suspects were taken away by the JSQM workers.
The wounded suspect and the bodies of the slain JSQM leader and the suspected attacker were shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. Hospital sources said that the JSQM leader was hit by two bullets in his left hand and the abdomen.
They said that the killed suspect was hit by at least eight bullets and the wounded suspect by three bullets. The sources said that the wounded suspect was out of danger.
The attack on the JSQM leaders triggered a violent protest in different parts of the city where enraged party men burnt old tyres, pelted vehicular traffic with stones and forced the shopkeepers to pull down the shutters.
Traffic remained suspended on the National Highway for well over two hours as protesters staged a sit-in near Gulshan-i-Hadeed.
Parts of Malir and its outskirts echoed with heavy gunfire as the protesters resorted to firing into the air.Two people were shot and wounded in the remit of the Steel Town police station.
Identified as Umer Daraz and Kabir, the wounded were brought to the JPMC where the sources said that both the victims were in a stable condition.
Tension and panic gripped parts of Gulshan-i-Hadeed when a mob forced the shopkeepers to close their businesses.
Meanwhile, the Malir Cantt police registered a case against the two attackers and their unidentified accomplices on the complaint of Naeem Mandero, the JSQM central cultural secretary, who was also sitting with Mushtaq Khaskheli in the rear seat at the time of the attack.
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Five lose life in Karachi violence
Updated at: 1755 PST, Monday, August 10, 2009
KARACHI: At least two people were killed when some unidentified miscreants opened fire at the funeral procession of notorious Rehman Baloch alias Rehman Dakait. While, in various incidents of violence and firing in different Karachi areas, three people were killed raising today’s toll from violence to five.
According to reports, the body of Rehman Dakait was being taken to Mawach Goth cemetery for burial there after the funeral prayers were offered in Nawalain. The gunshots were fired at the funeral procession at two places, killing two people Rafi 32 and a 22-year youth.
It should be mentioned here that famed Abus Sattar Edhi also attended the funeral procession.
Meantime, some unidentified miscreants shot down two people near Taleemi Bagh in Water Pump area of FB Area. Their bodies have been taken to Abbasi Shaheed hospital. The deceased could not be identified.
Also, Farman 25 was killed in Pak Colony. While, Usman s/o Faqeer Muhammed got injured.
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2 MQM workers gunned down
Staff Report
KARACHI: Two workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were gunned down within the jurisdiction of Shah Faisal Colony police station.
The victims were identified as Ejaz Baig, 30 and Atiq Ahmed 35, who sustained bullet injuries when unknown motorcyclists targeted and sprayed them with bullets, while they were playing ‘dabbu’ or carom at Qadri Mohalla, Shah Faisal Colony No 2. Police officials said that the incident took place during the wee hours of Tuesday and both the injured persons were taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) where doctors pronounced them dead.
Police officials further said that the victims were the workers of the MQM and associated with MQM’s unit 106. Following the incident, tension and fear spread across the city, which disturbed commercial and routine life. Both the activists were laid to rest in separate graveyards after joint funeral prayers. Police have still not registered a case and are waiting for the heirs of the deceased.
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MQM, ANP clash in Gulistan-e-Jauhar
KARACHI: Unidentified suspects torched a minibus in Gulistan-e-Jauhar on Wednesday when a fight broke out between members of Awami National Party (ANP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). The Shahrah-e-Faisal police said that the fight erupted after ANP members hoisted their party flags on the rooftop of a residential apartment building, namely Faraz Avenue. The police also said that after MQM members’ objection, intense firing ensued in the area, adding that the miscreants set ablaze a Mazda bus of route no G-3 at Jauhar Chowrangi, which bore the registration number JE-8630. Tension gripped Gulistan-e-Jauhar and its surrounding areas as both parties took over rooftops of different buildings and continued firing, suspending all public and private life. SP Shah Faisal Town Abdul Qayyum Patafi said that heavy contingent of law enforcers had been deployed in the area, adding that the situation was under control. Patafi also said that the police was trying to resolve the issue by dialogue between the leaders of both parties, adding that cases would be registered against the miscreants, followed by their arrests. staff report
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17 hurt in Shah Faisal Colony clash
Staff Report
KARACHI: At least 17 people were injured in a clash in Shah Faisal Colony on Monday. The clash broke out between two groups that were affiliated with different political parties. Police failed to handle the situation as unidentified men torched around five vehicles, some houses, a hotel, some fruit carts, a hardware shop and four other shops.
According to fire brigade officials, a two-storey building collapsed when a hardware shop located at its ground floor caught fire and escalated.
According to police officials, the clash erupted over Fitra and Zakat and it got worse when both the groups opened fire on each other.
According to other reports, heavy contingent of law enforcers arrived at the scene, but they were unable to tackle the situation until the filing of this report, however, the police was trying to resolve the matter by talking to leaders of the concerned political parties. It was also reported that the police would register cases and arrest the people involved in the incident. The flow of traffic was suspended for hours and many people had to break their fast outside their homes.
According to sources, the political parties involved had abducted and killed several members of their rival parties in the past, which had resulted in a severe clash in Shah Faisal Colony.
According to reports received from different parts of the city, similar incidents have taken place across the city.
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ANP condemns attack on Pukhtoons
KARACHI: The Awami National Party (ANP) on Tuesday condemned the attacks on Pukhtoons’ lives and properties in Shah Faisal Colony.
“Why peaceful Pukhtoons are being targeted in a fight between the two partners of the ruling coalition,” asked Qadir Khan Mandokhel, ANP’s spokesman.
He said that the PPP’s jubilant workers were receiving their comrade, who had been discharged from a local hospital. The comrade had been involved in a fight with the MQM. He said that suddenly firing started and it seemed that the PPP and MQM members had resumed their fight.
“But, Pukhtoons were hit in the crossfire. The attackers fired upon Kakar Hotel and also tried to burn innocent people there,” he said. Mandokhel said that Pukhtoon settlement near Natha Khan Goth was also attacked. He said that the reconciliationists and confrontationists should not drag the peaceful ANP into their fight.
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Target killings claim 4 in Karachi
Updated at: 0630 PST, Saturday, January 02, 2010
KARACHI: At least 4 persons were killed and 2 injured in targeted killing incidents in parts of Karachi including Shah Faisal Coloney, Landhi, Saoodabad and Liaquatabad areas on Friday, Geo news reported.
According to police sources, 24-year-old Aamir was shot dead in Tanki Chowke locality while another victim, 38-year-old Mohammed Ali son of Intezar Ali, was gunned who was reportedly hailing from MQM-Haqiqi political group.
Unknown armed miscreants opened fire at 40-year-old Malik Ilyas son of Umar Din in Landhi area whereas another 32-year-old Danish Shah Mehmood was killed in Landhi, sources claimed.
Moreover, two youths were shot injured in Liaquatabad locality while they were sitting out side their homes, who, reportedly belong to MQM, and have been shifted o hospital for medical attainment, sources added.
Wounded and corpses of decease persons were deposited to civil hospital, hospital sources confirmed.
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6 Haqiqi men gunned down
KARACHI: Six Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi workers were gunned down on Saturday in separate incidents in the city.
According to details, two MQM-H workers were killed within the limits of Landhi police station. The police said unknown armed men shot Muhammad Asif dead near Baber Market and managed to flee, while another’s body was recovered. MQM-H confirmed the victims were affiliated with their party.
Another MQM-H man was killed in Nazimabad police station limits. The police said Nasir Bashir was killed when unknown armed men shot him near his residence in Gujjar Nullah, Nazimabad No 1.
The victim was released from jail a couple of years ago, they added.
MQM-H spokesman Feroz Khan confirmed the victim’s affiliation with MQM-H. In a similar incident, Muhammad Ali alias Faisal Ansari, a resident of Pak Colony, was shot dead by unknown assailants near his house, according to the police.
Feroz Khan has confirmed the affiliation of the victim, saying he belonged to Unit 186, Pak Colony.
One more MQM-H worker was gunned down in Awami Colony police station limits.
According to the police, Muhammad Danish was an activist of Unit 86, Landhi and was killed when he was on his way home.
A Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan activist Jamal was also gunned down on Saturday in Moosa Colony. The victim also had links with MQM-H, the police claimed.
Man killed over old enmity: A man was killed over an old enmity in Baldia Town police station limits.
According to the police, three armed men shot Abdul Ghafoor when he reached Noorjahan Bibi’s house to recover the money he had loaned her. As per the victim’s father, Noorjahan was reluctant to return the money she had borrowed, which is why she informed Wali Khan, whose family is their tribal enemy. Wali Khan and his sons Raja and Abbas have killed Ghafoor, he added.
In another incident, an argument between two groups of heroin addicts claimed the life of a young man in Gulzar Colony.
The Korangi Industrial Area police said the incident occurred when two groups - after an exchange of heated words over a petty issue - beat up Nazar Muhammad and then threw him into a tandoor. The victim’s family and colleagues have identified the suspects and a case would be registered against them after the autopsy, they added.
Body recovered: New Town police have recovered a decomposed body of a young man.
According to the police, the victim was strangulated after being tortured. staff report
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11 more die as target-killings tally climbs to 39
Updated at: 0730 PST, Sunday, January 10, 2010
KARACHI: Unknown assailants have shot dead another 11 persons in last 15 hours in separate parts of Karachi while according to police calculation, the death toll by target killings in Karachi has risen to 39 people in last 3 days and scores another sustained injuries, Geo news Sunday reported.
According to police sources, the incidents of fierce clashes and indiscriminate firing remained continuous in Lyari, Garden and many others parts of metropolis on Saturday while in the latest incidents, a total of 11 more people have been gunned down.
The areas witnessed the target shootings included Lyari, Garden, Surjani Town, Kharadar, Aaram Bagh and Eid Gah localities in metropolis city as 3 persons, identified as Aamir Baloch, Shakir Baloch and Nawaz Baloch, were lately gunned down in Lyari.
Najmi Alam, president PPP Karachi division told Geo news, three fell victims to target killing yesterday belonged to PPP city area and called on government for arrest of responsible assailants.
Police and rangers officials also claimed presence of rising tension in many parts of Karachi including Lyari, Garden, Kharadar, Aagra Taaj and Usmanabad areas besides arrests of many suspected youths who are being investigated.
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Another 10 killed in Karachi violence
* More than 1,000 policemen, Rangers personnel enter Lyari
* Rocket fired at APC kills police official
LAHORE/KARACHI: Another 10 people were killed on Saturday in the latest incidents of violence in Karachi that began after the discovery of a headless body of an MQM worker, and which have so far claimed 28 lives.
Various areas of the city, including Lyari, Garden, Usmanabad, Ranchore Lines, Kharadar, Saddar, Pak Colony, Old Golimar and Dhobi Ghat remained closed for business amidst numerous gunfights and incidents of aerial firing.
Meanwhile, a private TV channel reported that over one thousand police and Pakistan Rangers personnel launched a search and clearance operation in Karachi’s troubled Lyari town on Saturday in a bid to restore peace after a spate of targeted killings in the provincial capital.
The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Interior Minister Rehman Malik.
Police officer killed: Unidentified attackers also attacked police, firing a rocket at an armoured personnel carrier in Pak Colony police precincts that killed a police official.
Three people were killed and five injured in Bihar Colony, while one Sajid Islamuddin was gunned down in Dhobi Ghat. The beheaded body of a 20-year-old boy was recovered from the Shedhi Village in Kalakot police precincts.
Another two bodies were found near the KMC workshop in Risala police limits.
The bullet-riddled body of a teenager, Nawaz Ali, a Baloch and resident of Lyari, was found from the Aram Bagh police limits.
A TV channel reported that authorities had halted the Lyari clearance operation temporarily to allow residents to vacate the area.
Sources said the Sindh government was also considering handing over the control of Lyari police to the Rangers.
The Sindh Home Department has prepared a summary in this regard and sent it to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat for a final approval. Karachi police have arrested 53 suspects in raids across the city.
Officials said the suspects were being questioned over their possible links to the violence. daily times monitor/faraz khan
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KARACHI: Members of a Pakistani regional party have asked their leaders to allow them to leave the ruling coalition in response to what they said was violence against their workers in the country's commercial hub of Karachi.
About 35 people, most of them rival political activists, have been killed in three days of violence in Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city which has a long history of factional bloodshed although it has been relatively peaceful in recent years.
Karachi is home to Pakistan's main stock market, the central bank and its two main ports. While investors in Pakistan have got used to almost daily militant violence in the northwest, bloodshed in Karachi has a more direct impact on sentiment.
The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), the dominant political party in Karachi, said the provincial government, dominated by President Asif Ali Zardari's party, had failed to stop the violence in the sprawling city of 18 million people.
The MQM is a member of Zardari's federal coalition government and the threat to leave the alliance could destabilise the government which is already facing criticism over corruption, a potent Taliban insurgency and a troubled economy.
“The terrorists of the Lyari gang have complete protection from some elements in the Sindh government,”the MQM said in a statement late on Saturday, referring to the neighbourhood of Lyari dominated by Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP).
Though in the PPP-led coalitions at both the federal and provincial level, the PPP and MQM have long been the main contenders for power in Karachi. The PPP dominates in rural areas of Sindh province, of which Karachi is capital.
The provincial government denies any involvement in the violence and says it is striving to stop it.
“Gangsters, drug mafia”
The MQM members of the National Assembly and upper house Senate had asked their leaders to be allowed to leave the government and sit on the opposition benches, the party said.
The MQM won 25 seats in the 342-member National Assembly in a February 2008 general election.
Its departure from the coalition, while not leading to the government's fall, would likely put pressure on the PPP to win over other parties and independents to shore up its position.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had discussed the situation with the MQM's leader, Altaf Hussain, who lives in self-imposed exile in London.
They said they would ask their members to avoid provocation and help restore peace, Gilani's office said.
The city's police chief said reinforcements including paramilitary soldiers forces had been deployed in trouble spots.
A senior provincial government official said gangsters were taking advantage of the tension and the violence could get worse.
“We have to find quick fixes because there's political and ethnic rivalry, while criminals, gangsters and the drug mafia have also been involved,”said the official who declined to be identified.
Karachi has been largely been free of militant violence over the past couple of years, but a bomb attack at a minority Shia Muslim procession in late December fuelled concern that the militants were expanding their fight to the city.
Tags: Karachi violence,PPP MQM,Karachi,Lyari,Karachi target killings
The MQM has justified the call by saying that the armed forces and other security agencies are bound to keep the peace as part of their “legal and constitutional responsibility”. –Flickr photo
Calls have been made for the army to step in and restore order to Karachi following a spiralling cycle of violence. The MQM asked the military leadership, the Rangers, intelligence officials and “honest and impartial” police officers to come forward and establish order in the metropolis on Friday. The call comes in the backdrop of a rash of targeted killings — many said to be politically-motivated — and the growing rift between the MQM and PPP over the issue.
The MQM is part of the PPP-led Sindh government while it also sits on the treasury benches in the National Assembly. The coalition in Sindh has never been a very stable one but with the latest upsurge in violence and the accompanying war of words, matters are taking an ugly turn. The MQM says the federal and provincial governments have not taken action against the killers of its workers, hence the invitation to the army to step in. It has justified the call by saying that the armed forces and other security agencies are bound to keep the peace as part of their “legal and constitutional responsibility”.
This may be true as according to the constitution the armed forces can “…subject to law, act in aid of civil power when called upon to do so”. But have things reached such a breaking point? If indeed they have then there should be a consensus between all political stakeholders to call in the armed forces to restore order to Karachi. It should not be the prerogative of one party. Also, has the situation gone beyond the control of the police? It is our belief that an empowered, de-politicised police force can best tackle the law and order problems of Karachi rather than the army, the Rangers or other security forces. Unfortunately, the police have been found sorely lacking in this regard as investigations into past cases of targeted killings have gone nowhere. The federal government has formed a committee to probe the killings. It is hoped the committee produces results. Meanwhile, cooler heads must prevail. The politicians must display maturity while the police needs to get its act together.
Tags: karachi army,karachi police,karachi target killings,MQM,PPP,sindh coalition
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Rather than work towards tearing apart the different types of violence and addressing each systematically and comprehensively, the authorities are operating in a muddle. — Photo by AFP
Metropolitan
Four more shot dead in Karachi
Interior Minister Rehman Malik stated on Friday that there are no similarities between the situation in Karachi and Swat. This statement of the obvious is in some ways the best response by the authorities to the recent spate of violence in Karachi.
Acknowledging that the dynamics of violence are locally defined and steeped in histories and circumstances particular to certain places and events is the first step towards effectively maintaining peace and stability.
Karachi has a long history of ethnic conflict, sectarian violence, land mafias and intra- and inter-party tensions. All these have been in play during this past fortnight, making it abundantly clear that a discerning approach to Karachi’s violence is required. Policing and investigations into recent incidents must be informed by knowledge of ‘local’ social, political and economic factors, which in this city of 18 million differ from locality to locality. For that reason, the MQM’s request for the Rangers, the army and intelligence agencies to maintain law and order in the city is akin to slapping a band-aid on a deep, infected wound.
Violent incidents since the last week of December have confirmed that Karachi is facing a hydra-headed threat. Rather than work towards tearing apart the different types of violence and addressing each systematically and comprehensively, the authorities are operating in a muddle.
The Ashura blast which had apparently been claimed by the Taliban was denied by the latter. On Friday, Malik linked Jaish-i-Mohammad, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LJ) and Jundullah with that attack. Earlier in the week, an FIA report had claimed that a new militant group was responsible for the blast. Even as it became clear that the Taliban may not have been involved in the Ashura attack, US ambassador Anne Patterson announced a grant of Rs1bn for affected traders, all the while decrying the Talibanisation of Pakistan.
A similar confusion prevails regarding the actors and reasons behind the killings of several people in the last few days. Political parties in Karachi have been asking the Sindh government to intervene and prevent targeted political killings, of which there have been over 250 in the past six months. Malik, meanwhile, has accused ‘actors’ not affiliated with political parties of trying to fracture the ruling coalition. With particular reference to violence in Lyari, Malik has dismissed it as a familial dispute surrounding a girl’s ‘illicit relations’ while city government officials have pointed to long-running gang warfare in that area. For their part, the police, in many incidents, claim no knowledge about the perpetrators’ identities, motives or their access to arms.
Complicating this scenario is Friday’s Baldia Town blast, possibly related to a Manawan-like attack on a police academy, which indicates that militants with ties to the TTP may be operating in Karachi (interestingly, LJ and Sipah-i-Sahaba stickers were retrieved from the site). The fact is, since June last year, when one of Baitullah Mehsud’s aides was apprehended, the police have been detaining TTP-linked militants in Karachi with some regularity. However, the criminal investigation department (CID) officials have been careful to reiterate that the situation here is murky, with many militant groups uniting under the Taliban banner and drawing recruits from Urdu-, Pushto-, and Punjabi-speaking communities as well as the Bengali community.
Given this complex situation, the authorities’ responses to violence seem poorly thought out. It was recently proposed that the Rangers be given powers to detain suspects implicated in violent incidents for up to 90 days under the Anti-Terrorism Act. This measure coupled with the MQM’s invitation to the paramilitary force to control Karachi could lead to arbitrary arrests and prolonged detentions. These would further fuel resentment among the local population rather than address the city’s disparate causes of violence.
Similarly, Malik’s warning to illegal immigrants to promptly vacate Karachi seems like an ad hoc, knee-jerk reaction. Most unregistered migrants to this city — including Afghans and Bengalis — have been here for decades and have nowhere to go. Moreover, they cannot be held solely responsible for the recent violence, especially in the light of intra-party disputes and the CID’s evaluation of broad-based militant recruitment.
No doubt, all illegal labour in Karachi should be documented, but that process must be systematic and gradual. Despite an ongoing initiative under the Foreigners Act, only 78,000 of the city’s 250,000 Afghans have been issued ‘proof of residence’ cards. Afghans and Bengalis regularly complain that they are harassed and discriminated against when they apply for registration. And the papers of documented migrants are regularly dismissed as fakes. The government will have to address the flaws in its registration system before issuing ultimatums.
If anything, by placing the burden of Karachi’s problems on its two million migrants (who will now find themselves forced out of jobs and persecuted), the authorities are creating a larger community of disaffected, marginalised and jobless Karachiites, all the more prone to violence for a host of separate socio-economic reasons.
Some of these misguided solutions are explained by the city government’s reliance on the federal and provincial governments and federally overseen paramilitary force to solve Karachi’s problems. National bodies cannot address disturbances that are local and particular to Karachi (and, indeed, its unique localities) as effectively as the city government and capital city police.
Rather than depend on an interior ministry committee, based at the National Crisis Management Cell, to investigate charges of targeted killings in Karachi — or even continue calls for a Supreme Court commission to investigate the Ashura blast — the city government should prioritise expanding, training and equipping Karachi’s police force and revamping the flawed Police Order 2002.
The very term ‘policing’ implies systematic scrutiny at a minute, street-by-street level. Stationed in particular localities, police officials — far more than army or paramilitary forces — are in a position to develop understandings of hyper-local communities, identify stakeholders, map criminal trends, and thereby launch effective investigations and help inform sophisticated policymaking. As such, better policing is the best, long-term antidote to urban crime and chaos.
huma.yusuf@gmail.com
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Haqiqi’s legal adviser among four shot dead
By Faraz Khan
KARACHI: Three Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi activists - including legal adviser of the party chief - and a taxi driver were killed, while a Haqiqi man was injured, in Ferozabad police limits on Wednesday.
According to details, MQM-H activists advocate Sohail Anjum, Muhammad Shafiq, Sabir and Muhammad Yameen were returning from the Karachi Central Jail in a taxi when the target-killing incident took place in broad daylight despite the presence of police.
The taxi - bearing registration No JL-3067 - was near the Najam Masjid traffic signal at the Tipu Sultan Road when two men on a motorcycle opened fire on the vehicle, killing three Haqiqi men as well as the taxi driver Akhtar Ali, while Haqiqi man Muhammad Yameen was also reported injured.
Following the incident, intense aerial firing by unidentified suspects was reported in various parts of the city, including Landhi, Malir, Shah Faisal Colony, North Karachi, North Nazimabad, Paposh Nagar, Lines Area and the Brigade area, where panic and fear prevailed in the localities.
Advocate Sohail Anjum was legal adviser to MQM-H chief Afaq Ahmed as well as the party’s central information secretary and president for lawyers’ wing; and Muhammad Shafiq was the party’s unit in-charge in Landhi, while Sabir was an activist of the same unit.
Afaq Ahmed’s former gunman Muhammad Yameen, who was discharged from the hospital after receiving medical attention, said the taxi was taking the Haqiqi men home after they had attended a court hearing of their party chief in the premises of the central jail.
“We were happy as our chief will be released on March 20. We were talking about the case when two men opened fire on us at exactly 4:30pm. Following the incident, a nearby police mobile immediately fled from the crime scene,” the ex-gunman added.
Daily Times has learnt that there were other vehicles at the scene that were providing cover to the culprits and were meant as backup if the murder plan had failed or gone awry.
Police officials claimed that a traffic warden deployed at a nearby roundabout and policemen on a mobile parked near the crime scene had also opened fire on the suspects, but they managed to escape.
The young attackers had used 9mm pistols in the assault, and police high-ups have suspended and reverted SHO Aurangzaib Khattak over the incident, they added.
KARACHI: The Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (Afaq group) has claimed that police have refused to lodge a case against the top leadership of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) over the murder of its legal adviser and two other activists at Tipu Sultan Road. MQM-H leader Shamshad Khan Ghouri told Daily Times that the party wanted to register a case against the MQM’s top leadership including Altaf Hussain, Farooq Sattar, Anis Qaimkhani and others since the MQM-H men were killed on their directives. “We have told the police that they can register a case on behalf of state if they would not nominate the MQM leadership on our complaint, “ Ghouri said. He also said the government has failed to stop target killings of MQM-H leaders and activists. “A meeting held at the MQM-H’s temporary headquarters Baitul Hamza at Sherpao Colony would decide the future course of action,” he said. staff report
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23 die in Karachi target killings
Updated at: 0430 PST, Thursday, May 20, 2010 ShareThis story
KARACHI: Violence enveloped the city on Wednesday as a fresh wave of politico-ethnic target killings claimed at least 23 lives. According to reports, the latest bout of violence has prompted the authorities to hand over the task of maintaining law-and-order to the Pakistan Rangers, under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
Wednesday’s fatalities include activists of the Awami National Party (ANP), the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the Muhajir Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).
The incidents of target killings triggered related violence, which included the torching of buses, forceful closure of markets, the burning of roadside stalls as well as the targeting of police personnel. The entire city was in the grip of tension, with public transport disappearing from the roads by early evening, as reports of the violence began to spread.
Schools and colleges across the city will remain closed on Thursday, while the papers scheduled for the day as a part of the on-going HSC examinations have been postponed. The violence began late Tuesday night when one Nabi Khan, an ANP activist and a mobile phone dealer by profession, was shot dead by armed men in the Shah Faisal Colony area. Later that night, an activist of the MQM, Mohammad Hanif, was shot dead in the same area. Armed men also resorted to firing near Unit-108 office of MQM in Shah Faisal Colony. As a result, Syed Asghar Ali and another MQM activist were injured.
Shah Faisal Town turned into a virtual war-zone, echoing with fire the entire night. The violence first spread to other areas when armed men ransacked a ward office of ANP in Dhoraji Colony, Bahadurabad. A shop, Mukaram Hardware, situated in Block-16 of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, was also torched.
On Thursday, an ANP rally that had been taken out to protest against the killing of
Nabi was ambushed by armed assailants near the Lucky Star area, in which the party’s Mehmoodabad ward president was killed.
Details of the deaths: Hafeez Ahmed Shakir, owner of Al-Rehman Medical Store, situated near Malik Sweets in Block-15, Federal B-Area was shot dead while he was heading home on his motorcycle (KAB-2285) late at night. The deceased was a resident of Chappel Garden.
On Wednesday morning, armed men riding a motorcycle shot and killed Abdul Hakim in Sir Syed police limits. The deceased was an ice-candy (Gola Ganda) seller and was sitting at a tea shop near UP Mor. He was said to be an activist of ANP and a resident of Bilal Colony, New Karachi. He has left behind a widow and a son.
Wali Mohammed, 40, a trader, was shot dead in Risala police limits on Tuesday. The deceased was running a shoe shop in the Light House area and was also residing in the same area. He was off-loading a consignment of China-made shoes outside his shop, when armed men riding a motorcycle shot him dead and fled. The deceased was a member of Light House Association and hailed from Quetta.
After the incident, the Light House shopkeepers pulled down shutters and launched a protest on Wednesday morning and demanded the immediate arrest of the killers. Bakht Zada, 35, was shot dead by armed men riding a motorcycle near Daata Nagar in Orangi Town police limits. The deceased was a supporter of ANP and running a cement block shop near his house in Sector-1C, Orangi Town.
The protest rally by activists and leaders of ANP, who staged a demonstration at the Governor House against the murder of Ghulam Nabi, was attacked by unidentified armed motorcycle riders near Lucky Star, Saddar, as a result President of ANP Mehmoodabad Ward Abdul Rehman was killed and three party activists including Kashif and Asif sustained injuries. Armed men then resorted to aerial firing and forced the shopkeepers to pull down shutters in Empress Market and Electronics Market in Saddar.
The police said that they recovered more than 50 empty bullet shells from the area. A rickshaw driver Anjum Khan, 30, was shot dead by two armed men riding a motorcycle near Chandni Chowk, Paposh. The deceased was said to be an activist of ANP.
Ameen Khan was shot dead by armed motorcycle riders in Quaidabad area, while he was working at D-7 mini-bus stand in Majeed Colony. The deceased was also an activist of ANP. Another ANP activist Niaz Mohammed was shot dead while he was traveling on his motorcycle near Old Eidgah police station in Risala police limits. The deceased was a resident of Metroville SITE.
Unidentified armed men ransacked the ANP ward office in Mehmoodabad No-5, while the bullet-riddled body of Shahid Khan, was found lying in a lane opposite Makro in SITE police limits. A local tea hotel owner, Moosa Khan, was shot dead by armed men in Gulberg police limits late Wednesday night.
Police sources said that the deceased was the owner of Quetta Tea hotel situated on Hadi Road. The deceased was present at his shop when two armed men on a motorcycle opened indiscriminate fire at Khan, killing him on the spot, and fled.
The deceased was residing in Moosa Colony area. Ajab Khan was shot dead by armed men in Sharea Noor Jehan police limits. Police sources said that, the deceased was sitting at a local tea hotel situated near Qalanderia Chowk, when armed men riding on motorcycle shot him and fled. The deceased was an activist of the Jamaat-e-Islami.
Armed men killed three persons in Model Colony police limits. According to the police, the incident took place in the Moinabad area, where unidentified armed men riding on motorcycles opened indiscriminate fire killing three persons on the spot.
They added that, of the three, two were identified as Azizullah Khan and Mohammed Nabi Khan, while the third is unidentified. In yet another case, armed motorcyclists opened indiscriminate fire at a general store, injuring a man, Jehangir Khan, and killing his five-year-old son, Hamza, in Landhi police limits. Police sources said that the incident took place in the Khurramabad area.
Unidentified armed men torched three buses in the Sachal Goth area, while a travel agency was torched on Daudpota Road. Syed Haider Ali, 35, Hamza along with Nadeem were killed in Al-Falah police limits. Police sources said that Haider Ali was a resident of Golden Town, Shah Faisal, and on Wednesday night was at Rafay-e-Aam society along with his son Hamza having his motorcycle repaired.
Unidentified armed men opened indiscriminate fire, in which Haider was killed, while his son Hamza was injured. The motorcycle mechanic Nadeem was also killed. The deceased Haider Ali was an activist of Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Fazal Mohammed, 50, was shot dead in the Awami Colony police limits. Police sources said that the deceased was a driver and working at Rehmat Rent-A-Car shop situated in Korangi No-6.
On Wednesday night, while he was on duty, armed men riding on motorcycle shot him and fled. The deceased was a supporter of the ANP. Rana Mohammed Younus, 60, was shot dead in Shah Latif police limits. Police sources said that, the deceased was an activist of the MQM and former councilor of the MQM in Quaidabad.
On Wednesday night, he was present at Murghi Khana, Quaidabad, when armed men riding on a motorcycle shot him and fled. The deceased was the resident of the same area. Late on Wednesday night, two police constables of the Pirabad Police Station, who were on patrol near the Abaseen Hotel, Abdullah College Road, Pirabad, were attacked by unidentified men. The two policemen are said to be in a critical condition at the hospital when this report was filed.
In Risala police limits, Head Constable Mohammad Asad was shot dead near his residence at the Garden Police Lines. Asad, who was posted at the Saddar Town office, was in civvies when he was attacked.
The city situation, remained tense till the filing of this report and the worst affected areas included: Landhi, Quaidabad, Shah Latif, Shahra-e-Noor Jehan, Orangi Town, Peerabad, North Nazimabad, Mehmoodabad, Saddar, Preedy, Risala and SITE, as the armed men kept resorting to aerial firing and forcing the traders to shut businesses.
MQM accuses ANP of politicising targeted killings
Staff report
KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has condemned fresh incidents of killings in the city and accused the local leadership of the Awami National Party (ANP) for politicising the issue to gain its vested interests. It could be an attempt on part of the ANP to divert attention from the activities of the Hazara community in the city against renaming of the North-West Frontier Province as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said MQM Coordination Committee member Wasim Aftab. He termed targeted killings a conspiracy to disturb peace of Karachi. Talking to a private TV channel, he rejected ANP’s claim that Pashto-speaking people were being targeted in the city. He said they lived and worked throughout the city and the whole city would have been affected if Pakhtuns were targeted. The MQM leader said the central leadership of ANP should take notice of “politics of hatred” being played by the local leadership of the party and criticised the ANP leadership for not attending the meeting at the Governor’s House, terming it “irresponsible attitude”.
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Targeted killings rock city: Violence claims 21 lives
* Rangers given more authority
By Faraz Khan and Atif Raza
KARACHI: The city faced an extreme wave of violence as at least 21 people were gunned down and several others wounded in different incidents of targeted killings on Wednesday.
Interestingly, soon after President Asif Ali Zardari left the ‘City of Lights’ on Tuesday, darkness descended upon the city as the death toll in the last 24 hours rose to 24.
On Wednesday, 11 Pakhtuns, five Urdu-speaking persons, two Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) workers and two Punjabis were gunned down, meanwhile, two Awami National Party (ANP) activists and one activist of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were shot down on Tuesday.
Shops in various localities especially Orangi Town, Qasba Colony, Shah Faisal Colony and Saddar were forcibly closed down by armed men affiliated with political parties. Panic spread as some reports suggested that people were being beaten and tortured on an ethnic basis by rivals.
Law enforcers including police and Rangers assumed control of affected areas and started patrolling but apparently failed to control the spiralling situation.
In the first incident on Wednesday, unidentified culprits riding a motorcycle gunned down Badshah Zada, 32, at his shop of concrete blocks near his residence in Data Nagar within the Orangi Town police station limits. ANP claimed the victim was affiliated with the party, although the police denied any information in this regard.
Soon after Zada’s killing, another Pakhtun identified as Amin Khan, 35, was shot dead in Majeed Colony, in Quaidabad police remits. Gunmen entered the estate agency where he used to work as an estate agent and escaped after shooting him dead. Another man identified as Khalil Awan was wounded in the incident.
Both the deceased and the injured, according to the ANP were affiliated with the party and residents of the same locality but police denied their links.
Near Lucky Star in Preedy police precincts, ANP’s Mehmoodabad ward member Abdul Rehman, 40, was gunned down while two other workers, Kashif Marwat and Asif Marwat and a passerby Abrar were wounded.
Police officials said the workers were returning from a protest over the killing of their party’s sympathiser Nabi Khan outside the Governor’s House, who was killed on Tuesday in Shah Faisal Colony.
Eyewitnesses said a number of workers stopped their vehicles near the Lucky Star and started chanting slogans against their political rivals the MQM. They also resorted to firing when unidentified men opened fire on them.
ANP’s Qadir Khan claimed that an office of the MQM was located nearby and MQM workers opened fire at the workers of ANP.
In Risala police remits, Niaz Mohammad, 30, a Pakhtun and a resident of Metroville, SITE, was gunned down near the Old Eidgah police station on his motorcycle.
In Awami Colony police jurisdiction, another Pakhtoon Afzal associated with rent-a-car business was gunned down in Korangi No 6.
In SITE ‘A’ Section police station, an unidentified young Pakhtun was killed in another incident of targeted killing.
Moreover, two Urdu-speaking men were also killed in separate incidents.
Hafeez Ahmed was returning home after closing down his medical store when culprits targeted him in Dastagir within Jauharabad police station limits.
Separately, the body of another Urdu-speaking person Farooq, 25, was found near the Kati-Pahari in Orangi Town police precincts. The deceased was said to be a resident of the same area and was tortured to death after being kidnapped.
Meanwhile, two workers of the MQM-H were gunned down in separate incidents of targeted killings in the limits of Al Falah police station. Haider Ali, 30, resident of Golden Gate, was killed while his 10-year-old son, Omer Sufyan was wounded when they were shot at while passing through the Wireless Gate on their motorcycle.
Another MQM-H activist Nadeem alias Mechanic was gunned down at an auto workshop in Shamsi Society.
Two Punjabi men were also killed in separate incidents of targeted killings. Najam Hussain was gunned down in Paposh Nagar area when culprits targeted his rickshaw. Meanwhile, Iqbal But said to be associated with the Punjabi Student Association was killed in Al-Falah police limits.
Five more Pakhtuns were killed in various parts of the city in targeted killings. Meanwhile, Haq Parast ex-councilor Mohammad Younus was shot dead in Shah Latif, Ayaz was tortured to death in Qasba Colony, Orangi Town and Mosa Khan was gunned down in Gulberg.
A 10-year-old boy was also shot dead in a firing incident in Landhi.
Following the incidents of target killings, riots broke out in various localities including Orangi Town, Kati Pahari, Qasba Colony, Banaras, Pirabad, Paposh Nagar, Chandni Chowk, Sir Syed and Muslim Chowk in which several people of rival political groups were wounded.
It should be noted here that tension between ANP and MQM was instigated last Thursday when a local leader of ANP was gunned down at Sohrab Goth and it was speculated that targeted killings would erupt on an ethnic basis.
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Targeted killings turn into sectarian violence
1 more killed, death toll rises to 5 in 15 days
By Atif Raza
KARACHI: In the continuing wave of sectarian violence in the city, a Shia man was gunned down on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the police have failed to arrest the criminals involved in targeted killings.
As per details, 35-year-old Shahzad Raza Rizvi, son of Tahir, worked as salesman at a grocery shop near Bahadurabad Chowrangi in the limits of New Town police station.
SHO Tariq Imran confirming it a targeted killing said, the deceased, father of one, sustained two bullets in the head when he was ambushed by two unidentified motorcyclists near the Imtiaz Superstore.
His body was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medico-legal formalities, where doctors stated the victim was shot from a distance of less than 20 meters. The body was later handed over to his family.
Allama Abbas Komaili condemning the attack said at least five members of the community have been killed during the last 15 days.
The elder brother of Shahzad, namely Asif Raza was also killed last week, which the police linked with sectarian targeted killings.
Both the victims were residents of Samanabad, Block 18, Federal B Area, where people took to streets and started chanting slogans against the government and police for failing to curb sectarian killings in the city, as markets in the surrounding areas were also closed down. The road from Water Pump to Sohrab Goth was blocked for traffic as protestors set ablaze four vehicles and ransacked two CNG stations.
Meanwhile, police officials said at least 37 Sunnis and 41 Shias have been killed in the city during 2009-10, while during the last two months at least five doctors have become victims of sectarian targeted killings.
According to the Crime Investigation Department, militant groups of both sects were operating in the city as alleged Lashkar-e-Jhangvi members have been arrested for different bank robberies and criminals allegedly from the Shia community channelling funds to Maulana Abid Hussain Shah, head of the Anjuman-e-Hussain Matmi, have also been arrested.
It is worth mentioning that in association with various local outfits, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has developed a strong network in Karachi, which is involved in major illegal activities to sponsor militancy in tribal areas. Recently arrested TTP operatives have disclosed a prominent presence of the militant outfit in Karachi.
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Karachi tense, as 3 dead in firing incidents
Updated at: 1035 PST, Saturday, June 12, 2010 ShareThis story
KARACHI: Various Karachi areas are tense as at least three people were killed in the firing incidents continued overnight, Geo News reported Saturday.
The firing that started yesterday evening, triggered panic, resulting in the closure of all the commercial areas in the affected areas, and the people woke through the night.
These areas include Abul Hasan Isfahani Road, Ancholi Society, Nagan Chawrangi, Paposh Nagar and Shadman Town.
Following the firing incidents, additional contingents of police and the Rangers were deployed in the above-mentioned areas amid patrols by the Law Enforcement Agencies.
It should be mentioned that that at least ten people have lost their lives in the two days of firing incidents.
According to police sources, some unidentified miscreants shot down Nasim Hussain Jaffery, a pathologist in a private hospital, whose body was transported to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
This morning, a youth was gunned down in New Karachi Sector-5. The deceased, body was taken to Civil Hospital, has been identified as Qari Rizwan Qadri.
According to Sunni Tehreek spokesman, the deceased belonged to their party.
The spell of aerial firings began after the incident, halting the trade activities in the areas. Also, the enraged people torched vehicles and the private properties.
The security has been beefed up to bring the situation under control in the affected areas; however, no has been arrested as yet.
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Sectarian violence escalates
2 of separate sects shot dead
* Enraged mobs resort to aerial firing, burning tyres, attacking passing vehicles, damaging shops in various areas of city
By Faraz Khan
KARACHI: The claims of peace in the city by authorities proved mock as two more men were shot dead in alleged sectarian targeted killings on Saturday and violence continued for the third consecutive day, sparking riots in various parts of the city.
In the early morning, 25-year-old Rizwan Qadri, son of Saleem Qadri, was gunned down near the Shahjahan Pan Shop, Sector 5-E, New Karachi within Bilal Colony police station precincts. The Sunni Tehreek (ST) claimed he was a party worker.
Eyewitnesses said two unidentified men on a motorcycle opened indiscriminate fire on the victim from a very close range. The victim died on the spot as he sustained bullets on his chest and head, they said.
Following the ST worker’s killing, tension gripped various parts of New Karachi, North Karachi and Nazimabad as enraged mobs resorted to aerial firing, burning tyres, attacking passing vehicles and damaging shops. A W-11 minibus was also set ablaze by unknown culprits. Armed motorcyclists forced shopkeepers to close down their businesses as heavy contingents of Rangers and police were sent into the affected areas to control the situation.
The law enforcement agencies personnel also raided some ST offices and detained 27 activists of the organisation.
Meanwhile, the funeral prayers of the deceased were offered at the Madina Masjid but the ST leadership announced the body would not be buried until the police released its party’s activists. They also warned of a demonstration at the MA Jinnah Road along with the body of the deceased.
However, negotiations between the ST leadership and the authorities concerned were reportedly unsuccessful.
Soon after the killing of the ST worker, a Shia man identified as Naseer Hussain Jaffri, 32, son of Mansoor, was gunned down by unknown motorcyclists in front of the Chiniot Hospital in North Nazimabad.
The victim was standing in the hospital’s parking area when unidentified gunmen opened fire on him and escaped. Six-year-old Sufyan was also injured in the attack.
Nazimabad SHO Jahanzaib said the deceased was a laboratory technician at Chiniot Hospital.
Riots followed his murder as members of the Shia community protested against the killing in Nazimabad, Rizvia Society, Golimar and some parts of Liaquatabad. Shops were closed down and roads gave a deserted look as a bus of 7-C route was also attacked and damaged.
The funeral prayers of the deceased were offered at the Rizvia Imambargah and as the funeral procession proceeded from Rizvia Imambargah to Wadi-e-Hussain Graveyard for burial, protesters damaged shops and blocked roads, resorting to aerial firing and chanting anti-government slogans. The Shahrah-e-Pakistan and other roads leading to Sohrab Goth were closed for traffic.
According to the Jaffaria Alliance Pakistan leaders, Naseer Hussain Jaffri was the ninth Shia community member to be killed during the last two weeks.
Meanwhile, the leadership of both sectarian groups has strongly condemned the killings and warned the government of a strong reaction.
ST leader Shakeel Qadri while addressing a press conference on Saturday night said the party would hold a protest rally on June 15 from the Quaid-e-Azam’s Mausoleum to Tower over the targeted killings and illegal arrests of party workers.
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Sectarian killings continue
Shia man, ASWJ activist shot dead
By Atif Raza
KARACHI: The recent spate of sectarian killings continued on Monday as a member of the Shia community and an activist of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) were gunned down.
According to details, Muhammad Ayub Naqvi, 65, was on his way in his car (registration No AND-860) when two unidentified motorcyclists blocked his way and shot him dead near the Nazimabad Underpass at Nazimabad No 6.
Soon after Naqvi’s killing, tension engulfed the Nazimabad, Paposh and Rizvia areas as members of the Shia community took to the streets to protest against the incident and resorted to aerial firing in some areas.
However, Nazimabad Station House Officer Muhammad Jahanzaib said, “Police and Rangers personnel rushed to the spot and controlled the situation.”
He said the police had been given the power to take stern action against those deteriorating the law and order situation.
The body of the victim was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where medico-legal officer Dr Sheraz said the medical examination revealed that he was shot from a distance of less than five metres and received two bullets in his head.
According to the Jaffaria Alliance Pakistan, the victim used to write religious books and had a bookstall in front of the Noor-e-Iman Imambargah.
Separately, ASWJ activist Ibrahim Mana, 32, was gunned down near the Pakistan Meteorological Department Office on University Road.
Mobina Town police said Mana was at a pan shop when some unidentified gunmen arrived on a motorcycle and shot him dead.
The victim received two bullets and his body was taken to a private hospital and later to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, they added.
Following the incident, the situation grew tense in the area as enraged people took to the streets and resorted to aerial firing, burnt tyres and blocked the roads.
Police and Rangers personnel rushed to the spot to control the situation.
Funeral: The funeral prayer of Naqvi was offered at the Shah-e-Karbala Trust Imambargah in Rizvia Society amid tight security.
However, during Naqvi’s funeral procession, unidentified suspects resorted to aerial firing in Gulbahar, Golimar and other adjacent areas.
The miscreants also torched a police check post of the Nazimabad police station, a car in Liaquatabad and a bus in the Nazimabad area.
When the mourners reached the Liaquatabad Bridge, they staged a sit-in protest and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits involved in the targeted killings of the Shia community.
A large number of personnel of the law enforcement agencies took position along the route of the procession to avoid any untoward incident, while the police also stopped traffic movement as a precaution.
Subsequently, a massive traffic jam was reported in different areas, including the MA Jinnah Road, Gurumandir, Golimar, Jamshed Road, Liaquatabad, North Nazimabad, Sohrab Goth and Gulshan-e-Iqbal, where numerous vehicles were stranded.
Intermittent aerial firing was also reported in these localities, while all shops were closed and public and private lives were suspended, as residents of Golimar, Nazimabad, Ayesha Manzil and Ancholi remained in their houses.
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Two killed in target killing incident in Karachi
Thursday, 24 Jun, 2010
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Police and Rangers had arrived at the scene and a search operation was underway. – (File Photo)
Metropolitan
Nine people killed in Karachi firing incidents
Nine people killed in Karachi firing incidents
KARACHI: Tension prevailed in Karachi after two activists of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were gunned down in Shah Faisal Colony during last 24 hours.
Violence began in Shah Faisal Colony on Thursday when unknown men torched several shops, half a dozen motorcycles, hotel and other properties during the funeral prayers of Mohammad Waqar of the MQM who was killed last night.
Firing in the area forced traders to close down their shops and businesses in the area.
Heavy police and rangers were deployed in the area but unknown gunmen managed to kill Mohammad Zeeshan who also belongs to the MQM.
MQM lawmaker Nishat Qadri while talking to DawnNews alleged that drug and land mafias were involved in the target killings of their activists and urged the government to control the mafias.—DawnNews
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Three killed in separate incidents
KARACHI: A young man was gunned down near the Sir Syed Government Girls College on Saturday.
The Rizvia police said Hammad Hussain, 21, was parking his car at his house in Rizvia Society when a motorcyclist shot him thrice from point-blank range.
Jaffaria Alliance Pakistan (JAP) spokesman Ali Ahmer said neither the victim nor his family had any personal enmity with anyone.
“Government as well as the law enforcement agencies have failed to curb sectarian killings and the JAP would announce its policy against the non-stop genocide of Shias by the outlawed, extremist organisations having government and political support,” he added.
Separately, a pan shop owner was shot dead near Noman Terrace in Block 11 of Gulshan-e- Iqbal.
The Gulistan-e-Jauhar police said Muhammad Saleem, 34, was at his shop when two unidentified culprits on a motorcycle shot him dead.
In another incident, miscreants killed a shop owner in Shamsi Society when he declined to obey the request of demonstrators protesting against law enforcement agencies for detaining a political activist.
The Al-Falah police said unidentified men killed Ata Muhammad, 40, when he refused to close down his milk shop during a protest rally taken out by the Punjabi Pakhtun Ittehad against the arrest of their associate Shahid alias Kochi.
Electrocuted: A young man was electrocuted at his house on Saturday in New Muzaffarabad Colony.
The Quaidabad police said Fareed Mehshar Khan, 25, died instantly after receiving electric shocks while fixing a bulb holder at his house. staff report
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Monday, June 28, 2010
Karachi wracked by spate of killings
* Majority of killings linked to gangs controlled by political parties
* Many trace conflict’s origins to Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and Zia’s decade of ‘Islamisation’
KARACHI: Asif Raza and his brother were killed days apart and in the same manner; gunned down on the streets of the country’s largest city. Their relatives insist the pair was targeted by Sunni extremists only because they were Shias.
Around the same time, Rizwan Qadri, a Sunni, was killed when he stopped by a betel leaf shop on his way home. His killers are presumed to be either Shia extremists or members of a powerful political party that has been linked to many deaths in the city.
Close to half of the 600 murders reported so far this year in the economic hub of Karachi have been ‘target killings’. This figure is roughly double the number that occurred in all of 2009.
“Successive political governments with conflicting political interests, fragile policies and weak political determination and will are not able to deal with the cancerous disease of sectarianism, ethnicity and the mafias,”Imtiaz Ahmed, a former intelligence chief, said of Karachi’s problems.
In Pakistan, though, an increase in urban crime is never just a local problem.
The city’s chaos provides cover for the growing number of Taliban and al Qaeda militants looking for a hideout beyond the northwestern tribal regions.
It is also threatening to undercut confidence in the US-allied government bogged down in a war against those extremists.
Responsible: Many killings have been linked to gangs controlled by the city’s main political parties, who have their electoral bases in the city’s different ethnic groups.
Members of the Sunni Tehreek have been targeted in the past by both Shia extremists and most powerful political party in Karachi.
Qadri’s death underlines the difficulty of tracing the cause of many killings in Karachi, where sectarian and political tensions, as well as criminal impulses, all fuel violence. The only thing that binds the deaths is the inability or unwillingness of authorities to stop them.
Over two dozen Shia Muslims have been killed this year, according to data collected by the Citizen Police Liaison Committee, a public-private sector crime watchdog.
Origins: Most people trace the origin of the conflict to two events in the 1980s that helped changed the nature of what has always been Pakistan’s most cosmopolitan city. First, the US-sponsored war against Soviet occupation in Afghanistan triggered a flood of weapons into the region, as well as refugees. At the same time, dictator General Ziaul Haq oversaw a decade of ‘Islamisation’ in Pakistan, seeking to remodel the country along the lines of Saudi Arabia, which along with the US supported his rule. Thousands of hardline Sunni religious schools that promoted anti-Shia beliefs were established, with Karachi home to many of them. ap
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Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Shia, Barelvi men among five gunned down
By Faraz Khan
KARACHI: Five men, including a member each from the Shia and Barelvi sects, were gunned down in different areas of the city on Monday in the ongoing spree of targeted killings.
According to details, at least four unidentified motorcyclists ambushed Sajid Ali Abbas and shot him dead at a bus stop near a medical store in Nazimabad No 1.
Following the incident, riots broke out in Rizvia Society, Nazimabad, Paposh Nagar and Essa Nagri where angry protestors took to the streets and staged a protest against the killings of Shia community members.
In some areas, aerial firing was also reported, which caused suspension of public and private life. According to reports, police high-ups suspended Rizvia Station House Officer (SHO) Inspector Ameer Gondal for failure to maintain the law and order situation in the area.
Newly-posted Rizvia SHO Ali Raza said the situation was brought under control as soon as the law enforcers arrived at the scene.
He said personnel of the police and Rangers were given the authority to take stern action against those involved in disrupting the law and order situation.
Riots also erupted outside the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital when the victim’s body was handed over to his family.
Protestors pelted passing vehicles with stones and chanted slogans against the government and the police, demanding the arrest of the perpetrators.
Jaffaria Alliance Pakistan spokesman Ali Ahmer said after Abbas’s death, the death toll of the people of the Shia sect had risen to six in the last two weeks. He blamed the members of the banned organisations for the killings.
Separately, a member of the Daawat-e-Islami, a religious organisation of the Barelvi sect, was killed by two unidentified men on a motorcycle at Liaquat Market, Malir. Saudabad SHO Azhar Lahori said Qasim Muhammad Umer, 31, was a resident of Malir H Area.
In another incident, an Internet café proprietor was gunned down in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.
Police said Akhtar Rasool, 25, was on his way home when unidentified culprits shot him dead near Jauhar Chowrangi.
The victim was a resident of Bhittai Colony and used to run an Internet café in Dalmia, Aziz Bhatti, the police added.
In a separate incident, Ali Muhammad, 27, was murdered outside his house located in Muslimabad. The Peerabad police said the incident took place in the wee hours when Muhammad left his house after receiving a phone call.
The police added that they were looking for the person who had phoned the victim and called him outside. SHO Rahim Khan said street criminals might be behind the incident as the victim had ties with some criminals.
Meanwhile, an unidentified man’s bullet-riddled body was recovered from Haji Miandad Goth and taken to the hospital where doctors said the victim was shot twice.
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4 political activists among 5 killed in different incidents
‘Unidentified men’ continue their killing spree
By Faraz Khan
KARACHI: Four people affiliated with different parties were gunned down in separate incidents in various parts of the city on Tuesday.
Two men affiliated with the Punjabi Pakhtun Ittehad (PPI) were shot dead in the afternoon near Lasania Restaurant at the Rashid Minhas Road in the jurisdiction of the Shahrah-e-Faisal police station, when unidentified assailants opened fire on their car bearing registration number FAD-815.
Following the incident, police as well as ambulances arrived at the spot and took the two men to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC). The victims were identified as Amjad, 30 son of Ashiq Hussain, and Fayyaz alias Kala, 28, son of Ibrahim.
Sources in the JPMC medico-legal section said the victims sustained multiple bullet injuries. Amjad had died on the spot while Fayyaz died shortly after he was brought to the hospital.
Shah Faisal SP Tanveer Alam Odho told Daily Times that the incident was a case of targeted killing and the culprits, who were on a motorcycle, used 9mm pistols in the attack.
The SP said the victims were affiliated with the PPI, adding Amjad was the party’s president for the Shah Faisal wing.
Both men were residents of the Kehkashan Society in Al-Falah. Fayyaz was a third year student whereas Amjad was due to leave for Germany in August.
Tension spread in the Kehkashan Society, Green Town and their surrounding areas following the dual murder and shops were closed down.
Separately, a doctor affiliated with the Punjabi-Pakhtun Organising Committee - a student wing of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement - was killed in Shah Faisal Town in the Al-Falah police precincts.
Police said two unidentified men on a motorcycle shot dead Dr Irfan, son of Ghulam Sandhani, at his clinic called Shahab Clinic in Isfahan Town.
SP Tanveer Alam Odho said the victim was the PPOC Unit 7 Incharge in Al Falah, adding that he was a father of four.
Panic spread in Isfahan Town, Anwaar-e-Ibrahim Society, Millat Town and Azeempura following the incident. Meanwhile, Pakistan Medical Association President Idrees Adhi condemned the incident and demanded the government to provide security to doctors.
Separately, a former policeman, who also said to be affiliated with the Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi, was killed within the limits of Orangi town police station.
DSP Abdul Majeed Abbas said Shahzad, son of Hafeez, was shot dead by unidentified men in the wee hours of Tuesday, while he was standing near his house. Police shifted his body to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. He was a father of two. The DSP said the victim had been dismissed from police service.
In another incident, property dealer was gunned down and his servant wounded in the limits of Sarjani police station.
SHO Atif Khan said two men on a motorcycle opened fire at 32-year-old Wajahat alias Wajjo, a resident of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, and his servant Kashif Aslam at Sector 10-A near Khan Coach bus stop while the two were in a car bearing registration no ALC-662. Wajahat died on the spot while Kashif sustained injuries. Police shifted the body and injured to the ASH for legal formalities and medical treatment. The police officer said the victim had no affiliation with any political party.
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ASWJ, ST, PPP men among 6 killed in separate incidents
KARACHI: Activists of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), Sunni Tehreek (ST) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) among six were killed and another man injured in separate incidents on Monday.
As per details, two unidentified men on a motorcycle shot dead ASWJ’s Tayyab Siddiqui, 23, in the Iqbal Market police precincts.
SHO Haji Liaquat Ali said the victim, a resident of Tauheed Colony in Orangi Town, received a bullet in the head and died on the spot. The victim was the son of Makkah Masjid’s pesh imam Maulana Shahid who is a member of the Tableeghi Jamaat, the SHO added.
ASWJ’s Ahsanullah Farooqui condemned the murder and claimed Siddiqui was killed because of his affiliation with the ASWJ. Farooqui also claimed Siddiqui was the 11th ASWJ activist to be killed this year, including Maulana Ghafoor Nadeem.
Separately, ST’s Moeen Qadri was injured in firing near the Ahmed Raza mosque in Baldia Town. As per details, the victim, a resident of Shah Faisal Colony, was taken to the hospital where he died during treatment.
Meanwhile, a PPP activist was gunned down in Baloch Goth in the Orangi Town police precincts. Police said unidentified men shot dead Abdul Ghani alias Chacha Ghani, 50, outside his house.
In another incident, a man was gunned down at Prince Avenue in the Soldier Bazaar police precincts.
Jamshed Town SP Amir Farooqui said Rashid Baloch and his friend Lal Khan were at a motorcycle mechanic’s shop in Garden West when two unidentified motorcyclists opened fire on Baloch and injured him.
However, when Khan pursued the culprits, they shot and injured him as well, the SP added.
The officer said Baloch and Khan were taken to a hospital where doctors pronounced Baloch dead, while Khan was admitted for treatment.
Baloch had returned from Dubai 15 days ago, and he was attacked due to personal enmity, the officer added.
Separately, the Zaman Town police recovered a man’s body from Korangi 100 Quarters. As per details, the locals found the body near Imambargah Sadequain and informed the police.
Police said according to the victim’s identity card, his name was Muhammad Saeed. However, no one from the victim’s family had contacted the officials until the filing of this report.
Similarly, the Sharafi Goth police found a man’s body near a nullah in Malir. As per SHO Mazhar Iqbal, the unidentified victim was in his 20s and he had been kidnapped before being killed. staff report
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Two ANP activists among six gunned down
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
By Salis bin Perwaiz
Karachi
Six people, including two activists of the Awami National Party (ANP), were killed in the latest spate of target killings in the city on Tuesday.
Two ANP activists were gunned down in Sharea Faisal police limits. According to SP Shah Faisal Town Tanveer Odho, Saqib Khan and Furqan were killed during a clash between two rival political groups near Rabia City over some issue late Tuesday night. Later, police contingents reached the spot to control the situation.
The situation was tense till the filing of this report. Meanwhile, Ashraf, 40, an activist of the Punjabi-Pakhtoon Ittehad (PPI), was shot dead by armed men in Rafa-e-Aam Society, Malir, in the Al-Falah police limits. According to police, the incident occurred at a short distance from the two butcher shops owned by the deceased. He was heading towards his residence with his elder son when he was attacked.
Two armed men riding separate motorcycles intercepted Ashraf and told him about their intention. Ashraf begged them for his life, but they took out their weapons and shot him dead. According to eyewitnesses, the suspects were dressed in pants and shirts and they appeared in their mid age. The culprits also fired two to three shots in the air before killing Ashraf. The 9mm pistols were used in the attack. The deceased received three bullets — one each at his head, heart and stomach.
The deceased was an activist of the PPI and residing in Punjab Town, Shah Faisal Colony. He has left behind a widow and three children.
After the incident, the PPI activists staged a protest at the hospital and Rafa-e-Aam Society, blaming their rival group for Ashraf’s killing. They also attempted to torch a Suzuki pick-up, but it was saved by the area police. Situation in the area remained tense till the filing of this report.
In another incident, Mohammed Yousuf Bengali, 22-24, was shot dead in Darul Uloom, Burmi Colony, Landhi, in the jurisdiction of the Awami Colony police station early morning.
Initial investigations revealed that the deceased had left his house late Monday night but did not return. He was found killed early Tuesday morning. The deceased was an activist of the Bengali Action Committee and working at a towel factory in Landhi.
Besides, Ghulam Akber, a labourer by profession, was fired upon and seriously injured by armed men in Al-Badar Society, Al-Falah police limits. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Ghulam Akber was a resident of Garden.
Besides, an aged man was gunned down by unidentified men in the Orangi Town police limits late on Tuesday night.
SHO Raja Tariq said that Ashraf Haroon was a salesman by profession and was working at a jewellery shop in the area. After completing his work, he was moving towards his house situated in Block-N, North Nazimabad when unidentified armed men opened indiscriminate fire near ZMC Ground, killing him on the spot. He added that the deceased received three bullet wounds.
Haroon belonged to the Memon community and had no affiliation with any group. A case was registered and investigation is under way.
Meanwhile, Tasleem wife of Mushtaq died after taking some spurious syrup for fever late Monday night. She was residing near Landhi Town office.
When her health deteriorated, she was taken to the nearby Sardar Medical Centre, from where she was taken to Indus Clinic and then to Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC), where she was pronounced dead. The case was reported at the Landhi police station.
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Riots surface as targeted killing victims laid to rest
* Three injured by stray bullets g Several areas shut down
By Atif Raza
KARACHI: Several localities in the city remained tense as funeral prayers of the four political workers killed on Tuesday night were offered here on Wednesday.
The funeral prayers of two Awami National Party activists Furqan Butt and Fazal Qadir were performed near the Pehlwan Goth Chowrangi after Zohr prayers. Later their bodies were buried at the Pehlwan Goth graveyard.
Panic spread in the area as party activists and relatives resorted to aerial firing while shops were closed down. Reportedly, three people identified as Atif, 22, Zubair, 40 and Akram, 31, were injured when stray bullets hit them.
Some rioters also tried to set a petrol pump on fire, however, police and Rangers personnel managed to disperse the rioters.
Another ANP worker Saleem Saqib, who sustained bullet injuries and later died at the hospital, was buried at Green Town.
Shah Faisal, Green Town, Azeem Pura, Sohrab Goth, Abbas Town and other areas witnessed a complete shutdown. Several areas reported aerial firing by unidentified culprits.
Meanwhile, the funeral prayers of Abdul Qadir and Ashraf were offered at the Wireless Gate in Shah Faisal Town.
Rioters blocked the roads by burning tyres in Shah Faisal No 3 and 4, as people preferred to stay indoors. Incidents of aerial firing were reported from Model Colony and Azeem Pura.
Late on Tuesday night, at least seven people were killed in different parts of the city within an hour. Three among them were ANP workers, one of Punjabi-Pakhtun Ittehad and another, a member of Bengali Action Committee.
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KARACHI: At least four more people were killed in incidents of target killings in Karachi, which brings number of people killed during last three days to 25.
Police sources said two bodies were found from Natha Khan and Drigh Road areas early on Friday. Earlier, a body of young man found in Alfalah whereas a political activist shot dead in Sujani Town.
Karachi police chief Wasim Ahmad told Geo News that police and Rangers launched joint operation in Alfalah Malir, Shah Faisal Colony and other areas after increase in target killing incidents and so far over dozen of people have been arrested.
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Brother of ANP MNA gunned down
Family arrested without any charges, woman raped at police station
KARACHI: Not to cause any less devastation than the floods, target killings in the city continued unabated on Monday. Another Awami National Party (ANP) worker was gunned down near Caltex Petrol Pump, Civic Centre, on his way back from work.
Asif Jan, 55, was the brother of Pervez Khan, ANP MNA from Swabi. He was killed in the jurisdiction of the New Town police station.
Asif Jan was an accountant in the land department of the city district government Karachi. He leaves behind five children.
The family of the deceased has been diehard supporters of the ANP. Pervez Khan, elder brother of the deceased, is an active member of the party who won the National Assembly seat from Swabi in the 2008 elections.
However, Asif had migrated to Karachi more than a decade ago and had stayed out of politics. He lived a quiet life in Karachi.
The fact that he had never been active in the city’s political circles is clear from the fact that when The Express Tribune contacted ANP leaders Bashir Jan and Rana Gul Afridi and spokesperson Qadir Khan, none of them could provide any additional information except that already provided by the police.
“He was not an active member of our party and none of us really interacted with him,” admitted Bashir Jan, a senior leader of the ANP, Sindh chapter.
“You might get his detailed information from Bacha Khan Markaz in Peshawar.” However, the ANP spokesperson in Peshawar had little else to add.
“Asif passed most of his time in Karachi and we did not interact with him much. He was not active in politics of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa,” Khan said.
According to SHO Tariq Imran, Asif lived in the KMC apartments in PIDC. “His brother is an MNA but his political affiliations are not confirmed yet,” Imran said.
According to police, Asif was going home in his car with his driver Nisar when he was attacked.
“Witnesses say they were attacked by two unidentified bike riders,” the police official said.
Asif died immediately while his driver sustained injuries. The deceased and the injured were taken to the Liaquat National Hospital.
The attackers, who were wearing T-shirts and trousers, seemed to be in their 20s, ANP officials quoted driver Nisar as telling them.
Reaction in the city
After the incident, enraged ANP workers reached the JMPC and chanted anti-government slogans. However, this time no riots erupted. There were some reports of aerial firing in some parts of the city and shops closed down in different areas, but no further casualties were reported till 9 pm.
When the news of Asif’s death reached Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, people started gathering at the deceased’s family house. MNA Pervez Khan also cancelled his evening plans.
“I have received condolence messages from all senior members of the party and it looks like the party will have to reconsider its reconciliation policy in Sindh,” MNA Khan told The Express Tribune.
According to him everyone at home is devastated after the incident. “He was killed just because he was a Pakhtun, not because of his political affiliations,” Khan said.
Shahi Syed, ANP Sindh president, regarded the killing as an attempt to destroy peace in the city and stop the influx of IDPs from interior of Sindh to Karachi.
Meanwhile, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement also condemned the killing of the MNA’s brother and called it a conspiracy to destroy peace in the city.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 24th, 2010.
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Busy day for target killers
CID official, MQM unit incharge among 4 killed. PHOTO: RASHID AJMERI
KARACHI: At least four people, including a Crime Investigation Department (CID) head constable and a Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) unit incharge were gunned down in target killings in different parts of the metropolis on Tuesday.
A CID head constable was shot dead near P&T Society. Korangi Industrial Area Police Station SP Manzoor Khatyan said 50-year-old Syed Izharul Hassan Bukhari was on his motorcycle when unidentified armed men opened indiscriminate fire at him, killing him instantly. He sustained four bullet wounds, Khatyan said.
The victim worked under the supervision of CID SSP Chaudhry Aslam Khan, who told The Express Tribune that the reason behind the killing is yet to be known. “Apparently, he went out to meet some friends in Korangi and was killed on his way,” he said. The victim was the resident of PECHS Block 6. No case was registered till the filing of this story.
Similarly, an MQM activist was shot dead in Ali Akbar Shah Goth. The Ibrahim Hyderi police said that Muhammad Yaqub, 45, was sitting outside his house when unidentified assailants in a white vehicle opened fire at him and escaped.
Yaqub was recently appointed as the unit incharge of the MQM in the area. He was a security guard and also owned a taxi. His body was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. Soon after the news of his murder spread, shops were closed down in the goth and other neighbouring areas. MQM workers reached the JPMC and shouted slogans against the police for failing to curb target killings. Yaqub is survived by a wife and four children. He is the second MQM unit incharge to be killed in the area.
A month ago, another MQM unit incharge of the same area, Jaffer Bengali was killed.
Separately, the police found bodies of two unidentified young men near Government Gulshan College, block-7, Gulshan-e-Iqbal. SSP Abdullah Sheikh said that the victims are believed to be in their late teens. Both the youngsters had been killed execution-style. “Their hands and feet were tied and they were shot in the head,” the SSP explained.
“Before getting rid of the bodies, the suspects first resorted to aerial firing,” said a police official of the area. “The two victims appeared to be hailing from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa or Chitral and had been abducted before they were killed.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 25th, 2010.
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Two MQM workers gunned down in Shah Faisal Town
Shah Faisal turns violent, but police insist they have managed to control the situation. PHOTO:ONLINE
Tensions ran high in Shah Faisal Colony as two activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were gunned down on Thursday in two separate incidents – both of which occurred in the same area.
One of the workers, 25-year-old Zeeshan alias Shano, son of Moinuddin, was killed at Colony Gate within the jurisdiction of Shah Faisal Colony police station on Thursday afternoon.
Zeeshan worked at MQM’s unit number 105 in Shah Faisal No. 4.
According to the police investigators, Zeeshan was travelling in his car (AEP-542) when some unidentified motorcyclists opened fire at him and escaped from the site.
Zeeshan was shot once in his chest from a distance of 14 metres, said the medico-legal officer at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.
Earlier, the law and order situation in various parts of the city had already worsened when an MQM activist was shot dead in Shah Faisal Colony No. 4 early Thursday.
Violence erupted in different parts of the city when Waqar alias Teelo, son of Khuda Bukshm was gunned down.
Waqar’s funeral prayers were performed at a mosque in Jama Masjid Hanfia and he was buried at the Azeem Pura graveyard.
Several people took to the streets and torched vehicles, restaurants and even resorted to aerial firing. The areas affected worst by these riots were Shah Faisal No. 1 and No. 4, Azeem Pura, Alfalah, Malir-15 and Millat Town.
A police constable, Zulfiqar, son of Pyara Khan, also sustained bullet injuries in Shah Faisal Colony while he was on duty. Zulfiqar was deployed in the city from Police Headquarters in Malir.
According to the police and eyewitnesses, all shops were closed down in Shah Faisal No. 1 and No. 4, Colony gate, Goli Maar, some parts of Lalu Khait and surrounding areas.
Even though heavy contingents of police have been deployed in the area, the situation remained tensed.
Some rioters even blocked roads by burning tyres and forcing shops to remain closed.
A Shehzore truck (LSA-6406) was also set ablaze by rioters. Kakar and Super Kakar restaurants were burnt and their workers were also injured in the riots. Taj Juice centre, a popular hangout in Shah Faisal Colony was also burnt down.
Six juice vendors were also harassed and their carts were damaged. Rioters also set fire to three motorcycles.
The angry mob at Shah Faisal Colony pelted stones at two passenger buses breaking their windows. Their drivers managed to escape, said an eyewitness.
SP Tanveer Alam insisted that the police have been making all efforts. “We have managed to control the situation in most parts of the city but the situation in some areas still remains tense,” Alam said.
He added that a heavy contingent of the police and Rangers have been sent to Shah Faisal Colony. The police have yet to register an FIR.
After the series of sectarian killings in the city, political killings have also restarted. Parties, such as MQM, Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakistan Peoples Party and Jeay Sindh have lost members in the past three days.
Meanwhile an activist of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat was also injured by firing. Babu was shot Thursday evening by unidentified armed men near Jinnah Square within the jurisdiction of Saudabad police station. He was rushed to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where doctors said that his condition was stable.
Rangers arrest over 70 suspects
Sindh Rangers carried out search operations in different areas of Karachi, including Korangi, Kati Pahar and Surjani Town, on Thursday and arrested over 70 persons. They have been handed over to the relevant police stations for investigations.
The spokesperson for Pakistan Rangers said that the search operation has been designed to rid the city of weapons as well as criminal elements.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 25th, 2010.
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KARACHI: Sectarian killings continued in the city with two activists of the Ahle Sunnat wal Jammat (ASWJ) being gunned down in 24 hours.
The two murders took place after the firing incident at a Youm-e-Ali procession last week, in which at least four members of the Shia sect were injured.
Ghayasud Din was shot dead early Monday morning in Lines Area near the CDGK parking plaza, which falls in the jurisdiction of the Brigade police station. According to police officials and the ASWJ spokesperson, Ghayasud Din was ambushed in front of Makki Mosque.
“The family said he had gone to drop his children to school,” officials at the Brigade police station said. The deceased was a father of four.
Ahsanullah Farooqui, a spokesperson for the ASWJ, said that Ghayasud Din was the party president for Lines Area. He described the murder as a ‘target killing’.
The police moved Ghayasud Din’s body to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for an autopsy. According to Dr Farhat, he was shot four times. Following the attack, members of the ASWJ took to the streets. They blocked the road in Lines Area and burnt tyres, suspending traffic on several roads, including MA Jinnah Road, for over two hours. They also shouted slogans against the government and demanded the arrest of the killers. The protesters dispersed after a heavy contingent of police and Rangers asked them to end the protest.
ASWJ Sindh president Maulana Orangzaib Farooqui led the funeral prayers in Model Colony on Monday evening. “They [government] know who the killers are but they are hesitant to arrest them,” Farooqui told The Express Tribune. He demanded that the police arrest those behind the target killings.
Earlier, another activist of the ASWJ, 30-year-old Rehan, was killed on his way home. He was returning after offering evening prayers at Chishtia Mosque in No. 4, Shah Faisal Colony. According to the police, two armed men on separate motorcycles attacked him near Abbasia School.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 7th, 2010.
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ASWJ Sindh leader shot dead
Karachi
Armed men killed another leader of Ahle Sunnat Wal-Jamat and injured his colleague in Jamshed Quarters police limits on Wednesday afternoon, taking the party toll to five in four days. Following the incident, tension gripped many areas of the city from where incidents of aerial firing were reported.
ASWJ’s provincial spokesman Qari Ehsanullah Farooqi was gunned down, while his friend Mohammed Naeem was injured near a puncture shop near Guru Mandir Chowrangi in Jamshed Quarters police limits on Wednesday afternoon.
According to police sources, Qari Farooqi attended the funeral prayers of their party activist Mohammed Mushtaq who was gunned down in Baloch Colony police limits on Tuesday morning. Later, Qari Farooqi attended a press conference of his party leadership in Mehmoodabad area against the continuous targeted killing of their party activists. But when he was returning to his house, a tyre of his motorcycle got punctured near Guru Mandir roundabout following which he went to a nearby puncture shop.
During this time he called his friend Mohammed Naeem, residing in the same area, and both started talking while waiting for his bike to get ready.
But in the meantime, two armed men riding a motorcycle appeared there and sprayed them with bullets. They were rushed to the hospital where Qari Farooqi succumbed to his injuries, while Mohammed Naeem was being treated.
Deceased Farooqi received multiple bullet wounds from 9mm pistol on various parts of his body and according to medical report he received five bullet wounds. The deceased was a resident of Gulshan-i-Iqbal and he was targeted in the same area a few months ago while he was returning home after offering Friday prayers but he escaped unhurt.
In retaliation to the murder of ASWJ leader, a strong protest was launched by the party activists and leaders in Jamshed Town and at the hospital. A protest was also lodged outside media offices on I.I Chundrigar Road, with the protestors demanding immediate arrest of the killers.
A number of city areas remained tense as armed men resorted to aerial firing.
According to ASWJ, they have decided to offer Qari Eshanullah Farooqi’s funeral prayers outside the Sindh Chief Minister House after Zohr prayers on Thursday.
Sectarian killings in Karachi have once again hijacked the peaceful atmosphere of the city. This year several activists and leaders were killed in the spate of target or sectarian killings, mostly involving members of banned religious outfits.
Investigators probing sectarian killings say that these killings are the result of infighting between the banned groups. The recent wave of sectarian killings started in 2009 and surged after the Ashura and Chehlum blasts which resulted in the loss of many precious lives.
Investigators say that a local group is involved in the sectarian killings, which uses 9mm or 30 bore pistols while in one or two cases Beretta, a German pistol, was used. The unidentified attackers are usually in their middle age.
The concerned citizens allege that despite the presence of huge police and Rangers force in the city the terrorists have been roaming freely in Karachi without any fear of arrest and easily achieving their targets.
They say that the city needs a comprehensive strategy to combat with the ever-worsening law and order situation.
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Target killings: 9 men killed in drive-by shootings
By Faraz Khan
Published: March 8, 2011
Four MQM sympathisers, water board staffer murdered.
KARACHI:
At least nine people, including four men affiliated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), were gunned down across the city on Monday.
A Shia doctor and water board staffer was killed on Rashid Minhas Road. Hassan Asif, 41, stopped to buy cigarettes at a paan shop, where two men on a motorcycle were already waiting for him.
According to a witness, the suspects “looked young with short beards and were wearing trousers and shirts”. As Asif arrived, one of them quickly sat on his motorcycle while the other broke the window of Asif’s car before shooting him thrice in the head. Witnesses said they saw the assailants flee towards Jauhar Morr.
The police took him to a private hospital. “He was taking his last breaths when we saw him and he died within seconds,” said a nearby watchman. Asif, a resident of the same area, ran a clinic in Jaffer Tayyar Society, Malir. His cousin, Raza, told The Express Tribune that he was going to office. “He was punished for being Shia,” he added tearfully.
“Every day, people are being killed on sectarian or political bases but there is no one to stop these incidents by arresting or punishing the culprits,” said another relative, Kamal.
Asif was only the breadwinner of the family and was the eldest among six siblings.
He is survived by his wife and one-year-old daughter. He used to be an MQM activist but “he was not an active worker for the past eight to 10 years”, said another relative, Raza. “After the father’s death, his only focus was to look after the family.”
Asif’s funeral prayers were offered at Ancholi Imambargah and he was laid to rest in the Wadi-e-Hussain Graveyard on the Super Highway.
According to SHO Sohail Sulehri, the assailants used a 30-bore pistol. The witnesses are helping the police make sketches.
The family has yet to file a case. Officials added that the same people, who have previously targeted Shia members of the MQM, may be behind this murder.
Elsewhere, an MQM activist was shot dead near Sindhi Hotel in Liaquatabad. Kashif Qasim, 28, affiliated with Unit No. 162 was sitting with his friends near his house when men shot him and escaped.
An MQM supporter was gunned down in Ranchore Lines. Eidgah police said that the 20-year-old Babar Raees was also a resident of the same area. He was sitting in a rickshaw with his neighbours when men on two motorcycles shot him.
Raees was a mechanic and used to run a motorcycle repair shop near his house. He supported the MQM and was often seen at party gatherings, said the police. His father lodged a case.
Meanwhile, the younger brother of an MQM activist was gunned down in Sector 4, New Karachi. Khawaja Ajmer Nagri DSP Altaf Hussain said Shoaib Nazeer, 24, was an MQM sympathiser and his elder brother is an activist.
In Orangi Town’s Katti Pahari area, a 54-year-old woman Ameer Jahan, wife of Sadiq, was killed while her 23-year-old son, Rizwan, was injured in firing.
The police said the two were on their way home on a motorcycle when they were shot. It was a confirmed case of target killing due to an old enmity, said an official.
In a separate incident, Saleem Zubair was killed and Zubair was injured in firing near Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
Shamim Shaheed police post officials said that the victims were residents of Pak Colony and they have yet to ascertain the motive behind the killing.
Meanwhile, the bullet-riddled body of a man, identified as Younus Memon, 25, was found in Lyari. Baghdadi police said Memon was kidnapped and tortured before he was killed.
The victim used to sell old electronic goods but he may have been killed over the suspicion of being an informer, said the police.
An unidentified man was also gunned down near Clifton Bridge. Frere police officials said the culprits on a motorcycle shot the victim as he was crossing the road. His body was moved to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and later moved to Edhi morgue. SHO Shehzada Saleem Memon said that the victim appears to have been a target killing victim.
The body of another unidentified man was found inside a garbage dump in Baloch Goth. Orangi Town police officials said the deceased was kidnapped and then shot twice.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 8th, 2011.
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