KARACHI – Interior Minister Rehman Malik claims to have put an end to targeted killings in Karachi but at least 182 people, including political activists, have been killed in the two months of 2011. Law enforcement agencies claimed to have arrested “53 target killers,” but a majority of them were released, Pakistan Today has learnt.
According to the data collected by Pakistan Today, 109 people were killed in January while another 73 were gunned down in February, with 24 targeted in two days of February alone. The total number of targeted victims is 166.
Out of the total killed, 39 were political activists: 12 belonged to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), nine to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), six each from the Awami National Party and Mohajir Qaumi Movement, three from the Sunni Tehreek, and one each from the Jamaat-e-Islami, Punjabi Pakhtoon Ittehad, and the People’s Amn Committee.
Killings of government employees, including law enforcement personnel, also went up. Five government employees were gunned down, of whom four belonged to the Sindh Police. A doctor and a chief pilot officer of a minister were also gunned down in targeted violence. A journalist was also gunned down in January, but police have been unable to make progress in the investigations.
Sources in the Police Department told Pakistan Today that despite public posturing to the contrary, political and influential personalities are providing patronage to criminal elements. “Law enforcement agencies arrested more than 53 people involved in violence during January and February, but could not keep them in custody for more than two days as government high-ups ordered us to release them,” sources said.
