Karachi: 16 target killings in city in just 24 hours

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Faraz Khan

KARACHI: Incidents of shooting and discovering dead bodies of kidnapped persons are increasing in the city once again, as at least 16 people, six of them belonging to separate political parties and two belonging to the police department, have been killed in the last 24 hours in separate incidents of target killings by unidentified gunmen.

Despite the ban on pillion riding, increased snap checking and routine patrolling, the city police are unable to stop such incidents, which clearly shows their failure. At least eleven people including one MQM worker, one Sunni Tehreek (ST) worker and four Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) workers were killed on Sunday while five persons including three MQM-H workers were killed on Saturday.

On the other hand, one DSP and five SHOs were suspended by their high ups due to their negligence. The suspended officers include Ferozabad SHO Farooq Satti, Taimuria SHO Tahir Khan, Shah Faisal SHO Atif Shah, Aziz Bhatti SHO Imran Zaidi, Gulshan SHO Sohrab Meo and Ferozabad DSP Nisar Qaimkhani. What is interesting is that none of the target killings took place within the jurisdictions of the suspended officials.

On Sunday, two brothers who were associated with the MQM-H were shot dead in the wee hours of Sunday when unidentified motorcyclists shot at them when they were sitting at their milk shop located in Liaquatabad no 4, within the limits of Sharifabad police station. The victims were identified as Liaquat Qureshi and Shaukat Qureshi while their nephew, Adil, also sustained injuries. The deceased and the injured were shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) for legal formalities.

In New Karachi, unknown culprits dumped the body of an unidentified man at an Edhi centre. The deceased was later identified as Irfan, a worker of the MQM-H.

While MQM-H worker Wasim was shot dead near Burnes Road within the limits of Preedy police station. The deceased was a resident of Lines Area, who used to work at a bookstall in Urdu Bazaar.

In another incident that took place near Aleempura graveyard in Shah Faisal Colony, within the jurisdiction of Al Falah police station, an activist of the ST named Abid, 28, who was a former activist of MQM-H, was killed.

Within the limits of Eidgah police, a MQM worker and a police head constable were shot dead when two men, riding a motorbike, opened indiscriminate firing near Timber Market, Siddiq Wahab Road. The MQM worker was identified as Yasin who was associated with Lyari’s Unit no 33 while the policeman, Arshad, was posted to the Sir Syed police station.

A man’s body was found in a sack near Civil Hospital, Karachi (CHK), within the limits of Risala police station. The man was later identified as Khalil Ahmed, son of Iqbal Baloch. He was said to be a companion of CID official Nasir Khan, whose body was found from the within the limits of Kharadar police station on Sunday. It believed that Ahmed was also with Khan when the culprits kidnapped them.

Unidentified culprits gunned down a man who was identified as Pervez near Abdullah Heights, within the limits of Gulistan-e-Jauhar police station. Police officials suspect Pervez was killed over an old enmity.

Within Peerabad police limits, unknown culprits broke into Usman Rafiq’s house and fled after shooting him. Police officials suspect that he too was killed over an old enmity.

An unknown man’s body was found at Korangi’s Khawaja Gharib Bus Stop. Police officials said that the culprits brutally tortured him first and then shot him.

Moreover, on Saturday, five more people including three MQM-H workers and a CID official were killed separately in different parts of the city including Shah Faisal Colony, Khokhrapar, Model Colony and Kharadar.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg12_1