Karachi: No letup in bloodletting as nine more slain

KARACHI: Target killings continued unabated for a second day running as nine people, including Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Awami National Party (ANP) activists were killed in separate incidents on Wednesday.

Also for the second consecutive day, law and order was disrupted in certain areas as people reacted to the murders. The total number of victims claimed by target killers over the last four days has reached 26.

MQM activist Khursheed Alam, 45 was shot dead in on Wednesday afternoon in Millat Garden of Malir in the Saudabad police limits. SP Shah Faisal Town Latif Siddiqi said the police rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), where he was pronounced dead.

During investigation, it was found that the deceased was an activist of the MQM and a former Nazim of UC-5, Malir, Saudabad. The victim was targeted by two armed motorcyclists who shot him once in the head and fled from the scene of the crime.

The empty 9mm bullet casing was recovered from the scene of the crime and sent to the Sindh Police Lab for forensic tests. Investigators believed that Alam was yet another victim of target killing.

Commercial activities were suspended in the Saudabad area following the murder when armed men resorted to aerial firing and forced traders to close their businesses.Activists and the leadership of the MQM launched a protest and demanded the immediate arrest of the assailants.

Just a few moments later in another part of town, criminals tossed a hand grenade at the Quetta Noorani and the Allah Maalik Hotels near the Quaidabad Bridge that lies in the Shah Latif police limits. A man identified as ANP activist Wajid Khan was killed, while seven others were injured.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Rao Mohammed Iqbal of the Malir City Division said that with the help of rescue workers, law enforcers shifted the victims to the JPMC and cordoned off the area to preserve evidence.

Among the injured were Faizullah, the owner of the Noorani Hotel, Nasir, Yasir, Sadiq, Basheer and Javed. Iqbal said the police collected samples from the crime scene and also called in forensic experts as well as the Bomb Disposal Squad, who in their initial report believed that the hand grenade was Russian made.

Investigators said this was yet another targeted attack as the owners of these hotels were receiving extortion threats from a certain group. After the grenade attack, tension developed in the area when armed men forced the closure of shops and created blockades for vehicular traffic on the Quaidabad Bridge. The enraged mob finally dispersed after assurances from senior police officials that security would be provided to them.

The day saw further bloodshed as another MQM worker, Hasnain Malik, was gunned down in the Bangla Bazaar of Sector-15C in the Orangi Town. Station House Officer (SHO) Sabir Hussain of Pakistan Bazaar said the police found the young man lying dead near the Iqbal General Store in the aforementioned area. The law enforcers shifted the victim to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) for a post-mortem.

The deceased was a resident of the same area in which he was shot dead. Investigations revealed that he was sitting at the general store when two armed motorcyclists arrived at the scene and sprayed the victim with bullets. Malik was killed on the spot, while his assailants managed to flee the scene.

Tension also developed in this area as people reacted to Malik’s slaying by forcing the closure of shops through aerial firing. MQM members reached the hospital, where they protested against the targeted killing and demanded that the government take the necessary action to arrest the culprits.

Hasnain Malik murder, investigators said, was yet another target killing. They added that the victim was shot eight times in various parts of the body. Empty bullet casings of a 30 Bore pistol were found at the crime scene, which were sent for forensic tests. The deceased was an active member of Unit-121-A of Pakistan Bazaar.

In yet another attack, two Baloch brothers, Saeed and Majeed, fell prey to the guns of target killers in Gulshan-e-Mazdoor of Saeedabad on Wednesday evening.

Police found the two men injured at the crime scene and shifted them to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. The police team cordoned off the crime scene and sent another police party to the medical facility. However, as the law enforcers reached the hospital, they were informed that the victims succumbed to their injuries during treatment.

The victims were gunned down outside their house by armed motorcyclists, who fled after carrying out the attack. Both brothers suffered multiple bullet wounds to various parts of the body.

Investigators said the men were supporters of a political party and believed they were specifically targeted. Yet again, a 9mm pistol was used in the attack.

Separately, the tortured and bullet-riddled body of an unidentified man was found from the Baldia Town area. Police said they received information on Wednesday morning that the dead body of a man was lying on the Mir Alam Road of the Rasheedabad area.

After retrieving the body, the cops shifted it to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. They claimed that the deceased was kidnapped from an unknown area and after being killed, was dumped in their area. The victim was shot three times in various parts of his body.

The police believed that the victim seemed to be a Baloch, but could not confirm as no identification card was found on his person.

Over in the Lyari area, another man fell victim to gunfire near the Niazi Chowk in the Kalri police limits. SHO Safdar Mashwani said that when his force reached the scene, it was informed that a man named Aslam Commando had been murdered and that his body was shifted to the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK).

The scene of crime was cordoned off, while some policemen went to the CHK for legal formalities. Aslam Commando was a Lyari gangster and belonged to the Uzair Baloch group and resided in the same area, claimed the police.

He was killed on Wednesday night when two armed motorcyclists opened fire at him and fled. Aslam suffered three bullet wounds to different parts of the body.

SHO Mashwani said the deceased was wanted by the police in a number of cases of extortion, kidnapping for ransom and murder. He added that the victim also ran a gambling den in the area.

In yet another case, 55-year-old Sardar Hussain was killed near the Banaras Chowk that lies in the Peerabad police limits.

SSP Amir Farooqi of District West, while talking to The News, said that the police went to the crime scene and shifted the victim to the JPMC, where he was pronounced dead. It was discovered that the victim was a trader who ran his business from Hub and lived in Saeedabad.

SSP Farooqi said that Hussain hailed from Swat and returned from his hometown just a week ago.

He was heading home on Wednesday night when his car broke down. Hussain called his nephew to inform him about the car problems and said he would be late.

While he was in the area, the victim was sitting with a group of people when armed men arrived at the scene. The gunmen drew their weapons and told the others sitting with him to move out of the line of fire. The assailants then unloaded their 30 bore pistol into Hussain, killing him on the spot.

The police said the deceased was the supporter of a political party and it seemed that he was killed due to a personal enmity. However, they added that the case was being investigated from the target-killing angle as well.

Meanwhile, late on Wednesday night, armed men shot a rickshaw driver on Burns Road in the Preedy police jurisdiction.

SDPO Ali Asif of the Preedy Division said the victim was sitting in his rickshaw when armed men opened fire at him and fled. The police was yet to find any form of identification card on the victim, but found his cell phone, which they would use to try and contact his family.