Karachi: 17 more killed during 24 hours

Alerts Intermediate commerce results: Institute of Business Education students make a clean sweep 11:45 AM PST Sectarian hit-men move from killing individuals to targeting families: Police By Faraz Khan Published: September 28, 2012 They suspect it has been going viral after the ISO blast. PHOTO: INP/ FILE KARACHI: It is difficult to decipher a trend if the victims are picked off one by one each day. Isolated reports fail to give the full picture. But now the police are fairly certain that the sectarian revenge killings have taken a new turn: groups and families are being targeted rather than the individual. In the last 30 days, six similar homicides suggest that the Deobandi and Shia militant wings are interlocked in a frightening new spiral. It started on August 18, when suspects from the banned Sipah-e-Mohammad Pakistan killed nine friends affiliated with the Deobandi school of thought in Gulberg and North Karachi within two hours. District West DIG Akram Bharoka believes that the Deobandis were targeted in North Karachi primarily because it was their home territory. The police suspect that the killings were an instant reaction to the bomb blast at the Imamia Student Organisation’s Youm-e-Quds rally which took place earlier that day. A few weeks later, on September 5, suspects from the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi or the outlawed Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan gunned down an advertising icon and the chairperson of the Islamic Research Centre Trust, Mukhtar Aazmi, and his son Mohammad Baqir. The suspects opened fire on Aazmi’s car as the father and son were heading home from work. Aazmi’s grandson, who was also in the car with them, was injured. Around 19 days later, four brothers affiliated with the Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat were shot dead by motorcyclists near Disco Morr, North Karachi. On September 26, 60-year-old Mohammad Raza and his two sons, Kumail and Abbas, were killed in Pan Mandi, Napier Road. As the killings continued, on Wednesday night, three more Shia men were shot dead in two separate murders. In Gulbahar, four men on two motorcycles opened fire at 42-year-old Zafar Ahmed Alvi, said the Rizvia police. According to DSP Rustam Khattak, the suspects started shooting at other people as they tried to escape and killed Zahid Ali Jaffery, 45, and injured three men identified as Altaf, Iqbal Ahmed and Jackson Pervez. The DSP believes that Zafar, who was associated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement was the prime target. Thirty-five-year-old Zaheer Abbasi was gunned down by two men on a motorcycle in Gulberg after he dropped his son off at school, said the Samanabad police. They believe that he was killed in a sectarian attack. Another Shia man identified as Nisar was shot dead while his brother and cousin were injured in a targeted attack in New Karachi by four men. However, the police suspect that Nisar was killed for personal reasons. Changing trends From an eye for an eye in the 1990s, sectarian attacks have grown to also target mosques, imambargahs and important party workers, religious leaders and scholars. Law enforcers claim that the militants who went to prison for sectarian killings in the 1990s are free now and might have helped train a new set of killers. According to Crime Investigation Department’s SSP Fayyaz Khan, one of the groups had the support of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. “There are several reasons behind the sectarian violence but the recent cases are coming up because of Eidul Azha,” he said. “In the weeks leading to Eid, these people like to flex their muscles to show their strength and collect donations. If you link the previous events together it sort of makes sense – Deobandi scholars were killed and then Shias were killed.” So far the only suspect the police have been able to arrest was an alleged hitman from the banned Sipah-e-Mohammad Pakistan. They claim he killed seven Deobandis near Disco Morr. DIG Bharoka said that the suspect had confessed to being from a militant group which was trying to increase sectarian violence. “We cannot fight this overnight,” he said. “We need to divide into teams and work on solving these cases. That is the only way to combat sectarian violence.” One of the big sectarian killing cases in 1994 was the attack on Major Alay Ali Jaffri’s house in PECHS Block 6. His house, which was also used as a small imambargah and ibadatgah, was attacked one morning by men allegedly from the SSP. CID’s SP Mazhar Mashwani, who at the time was an ASI and in charge of the case, says that the suspects had tied the men up with their cummerbunds and opened fire on them. Five people were injured and two, including Jaffri, were killed. “When we [the police] got there, we had an encounter with the suspects,” he said. “Two of them were killed and we arrested three others, including Shahid, Farhan and Imran.” Mashwani was promoted, became a sub-inspector and received a medal from the president. However, the suspects were later released on bail by the court. Another well known case in the 1990s was the murder of Deobandi scholar Maulana Habibullah Mukhtar near Guru Mandir in 1997. The police managed to arrest two suspects, Tanveer Abbas and Saleem Jaffer, who were later acquitted by the court. They believe that the main suspect, a man identified as Rana, was hiding in Iran. Around a year or so ago, Abbas was murdered in Rizvia. The police suspect that he might have been killed in a mugging. While talking to The Express Tribune, Mashwani said that these target killings are incomparable. “We suspect that these people are not acting alone. They have a strong back-up system,” he said. “In the 1990s, a target killer was hired with a clear-cut reason to kill someone. Like if someone wanted to kill me they would hold against me the fact that I am a policeman and have arrested a lot people. They would monitor my movements and strike within a few day. Now, they are just killing families – there is no clear direction just the motivation to kill.” DEOBANDI (Hardline Sunni) Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Established: 1996 Leadership: Mohammad Ajmal aka Akram Lahori, Malik Mohammad Ishaq, (late) Riaz Basra Headquarters: Jhang, Rahim Yar Khan, Lahore, Karachi Legal status: Banned Strongholds: Presence in southern Punjab and Karachi, as well as Balochistan, because of its close links with the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (see right) The LeJ is a breakaway group of the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (dark orange) that has been implicated in and has taken responsibility for attacks on Shias as well as the attack on the CID headquarters in Karachi and the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan Established: 1985 Leadership: (Free) Ahmed Ludhianvi, Orangzaib Farooqui, (behind bars)Ghulam Raza Naqvi, Munawar Abbas Alvi Headquarters: Jhang Legal status: Banned Strongholds: Support in key urban areas of Pakistan as well as rural Sindh and southern and central Punjab The SSP was founded by Haq Nawaz Jhangvi and was reportedly propped up by the establishment as a counter to what it saw was increasing Iranian and Shia influence in the country. It has contested elections in the past and plans to do so in the future. It is a member of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council, a coalition of religio-political parties. SHIA Sipah-e-Mohammad Established: 1993 Leadership: Unknown Headquarters: Lahore, Karachi Legal status: Banned Described as a Shia group responsible for executing revenge attacks for the murder of Shias, and opposes the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (see left). Earlier, members had broken away from the Tehrik-e-Jaffaria Pakistan. Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2012. ============ Karachi: 17 more killed during 24 hours September 27, 2012 - Updated 40 PKT From Web Edition 4 0 2 0 KARACHI: Seventeen people, including activists of political and religious parties, were killed in different parts of the metropolis during the last 24 hours on Wednesday. Late on Wednesday, firing incidents claimed three lives in Aisha Manzil, Buffer Zone and Defence phase 6. Earlier, Two people, Zafar Alvi and Zahid Hussain, were gunned down while two others were injured in Rizvia, Gulbahar police limits, near the Zamindaar Chowk. Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Rustam Khan Khattak of Nazimabad said that Alvi was shot outside his house when two armed men riding a motorcycle opened fire on him. He added that the accused were fleeing when they were hit by a motorcycle rider near the Liaquat Chowk, some distance away from the crime scene. Thinking that motorcyclist was a friend of Alvi, the fleeing assailants opened fire on him. Motorcyclist Zahid Hussain and two passersby, Iqbal and Jackson, were injured. The injured were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where during treatment Alvi and Zahid Hussain succumbed to their injuries. Alvi was also an activist of the MQM of Nazimabad Sector. Later, tension developed in the area where armed men resorted to aerial firing and forced shopkeepers to close their businesses. A case was reported and investigation is underway. Sources said on Wednesday morning, after dropping children at school, Zahir Abbas was heading home when armed men on a motorcycle opened fire at him, killing him on the spot. Station House Officer (SHO) Rashid of the Samanabad Police Station said the police received information on Wednesday morning that a man was shot near the Water Pump Chowrangi. Acting on the tip off, a police van rushed to the spot and moved the injured to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Abbas was a resident of Ancholi. Following the incident, tension developed in Gulbahar, Rizvia, Nazimabad, Gulberg and Ancholi where armed men resorted to aerial firing and forced shopkeepers to close their shops. In a separate case, Naeem Baloch was shot dead in Mominabad police limits on Wednesday morning. Police said that the deceased was a resident of Faqeer Colony of Orangi and was present outside his house when two armed men riding a motorcycle opened fire at him and fled. The injured was moved to the Civil Hospital where he expired. Khalid, 25, was shot dead in the Garden police limits. Police said that the deceased was passing by the Fowara Chowk when two armed men on a motorcycle shot him, injured him and fled. The injured was moved to the Civil Hospital where he expired. The deceased was a resident of the same area. Babar Shahzad's tortured and bullet-riddled body was found from the Kalri police limits. The body of Babar was retrieved from the Mirza Adam Khan Road on Wednesday afternoon. Police said that they shifted the body to the Civil Hospital and also aired a message on the police control. Afterwards, a family approached the police and identified the deceased as a resident of the Old City area. In the Korangi Industrial Area police limits, armed men gunned down Mehar Ali Panhwar, 40. Superintendent of Police (SP) Irfan Bhutto of the Shah Faisal Division said that Mehar Ali, a resident of Mehran Town, Bilal Colony, Korangi, was present outside his house when two armed men on a motorcycle opened fire at him, killing him on the spot. The body was moved to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for post mortem. Investigators termed the murder of Mehar Ali a part of target killings and added that he was also a worker of MQM's Muzafati Committee. Jameel Ahmed Setho was shot dead in the Aziz Bhatti police limits on Wednesday evening within No-15 of Dalmia Society near Golden Kitchen. Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Nasir Lodhi of New Town Division said that Jameel was a reporter of a local newspaper and a resident of Shanti Nagar. On Wednesday evening, two armed men riding a motorcycle shot him and injured him. He was rushed to the JPMC where during treatment he expired. In Kharadar, armed men targeted Bilal Ali, 30. Police said that the deceased was a resident of Defence and came to Kharadar to attend the funeral prayers of some one. When he was returning after offering the prayers at the Napier Road, two armed men on a motorcycle opened fire at him. He was moved to the Civil Hospital where he expired. Investigators termed the murder of Bilal as part of target killings and added that he was a supporter of the MQM. In Surjani Town, two workers of the Pakistan People's Party, Umer Sheikh and Lala Fazal, were gunned down. SHO Irshad Gabol of Surjani Town police station said that the deceased were residents of Sector-7E and owners of a snack bar. On Wednesday night, they were present at their shop when two armed men riding a motorcycle came and injured them. They were moved to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where during treatment they expired. Investigators termed the murder of Umer and Lala Fazal target killings and added that they were active members of PPP of PS-97. Moreover, deceased Umer's relative Feroze was also gunned down in the same area two weeks back. In the Al-Falah area, armed men gunned down Nazeer Nawaz, 60, on Wednesday night. SHO Sarfraz Gondal of Al-Falah police said that the deceased was a resident of Gharib Nawaz Colony and was also the caretaker of Gharib Nawaz Mazar. On Wednesday night, after offering the Esha prayers, he was returning to his house when two armed men on a motorcycle shot him dead on the spot. The body was later moved to the JPMC for post mortem. Investigators termed the murder of Nazeer as target killing and added that his younger son was an active member of the MQM while he was a supporter of the party. Meanwhile, Nisaar Ali was shot dead while Waheed and Nadeem were injured in the New Karachi area. SDPO Chaudhry Mohammed Akhtar of the New Karachi Division said that deceased Nisaar and Waheed and Nadeem were relatives and belonged to Gambat. They used to visit Karachi to sell pampers at the Budh Bazaar in New Karachi. On Wednesday night, they were working at their stall, when two armed men came, opened fire on them, injuring Nisaar, Waheed and Nadeem. They were moved to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where Nisaar expired. Late on Wednesday night, in the Taimooria police limits, Siddique was injured when armed men fired at him from a pick-up van near the People's Chowrangi. He received two bullet wounds and was rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where he died. In a late night incident, Syed Qasim was shot dead near Dhatmal Bakery. He was the owner of a sweet shop and a resident of Liaquatabad. Empty bullet shells found from various crime scenes have been sent for investigation. Meanwhile, separate cases have been lodged and investigation is underway.