KARACHI – The ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)’s Karachi chapter on Tuesday released a list of 104 PPP activists whose lives, according to the party, were claimed by incidents of targeted killing since the PPP came to power in 2008.
According to the party, PPP workers are being killed even now as some 19 activists were murdered since the beginning of this year, whereas eight of them were killed this month alone. The list has been issued by PPP Karachi President Najmi Alam who said that most party activists were killed in areas under the city’s defunct West district during the party’s government.
According to the list, some 66 party workers were killed in different parts of the West district, including Orangi Town, Peerabad, Surjani Town, Pakistan Bazaar, Paposh Nagar, Saeedabad and Pak Colony. Out of the 11 PPP activists murdered since the start of the current year to mid-March, around seven of them belonged to the Orangi, Surjani, Pak Colony and Garden West areas in the West district.
The list shows that six of about 14 party workers killed in the city areas belonging to the defunct East district were murdered in the current year. The victims included PPP Cultural Wing Karachi President Amin Memon. As per the list, some 12 PPP activists were killed in different areas of the defunct South district, whereas two of the victims were murdered in the current month.
One of the victims, Tariq Lashari, was the former councillor of the party, whereas Shams Bihari was murdered near Bilawal House. Similarly, some eight activists were killed in different parts of the defunct Central district, whereas three of them were murdered in the current year. The list also shows that some four workers of the party were murdered in different areas of the defunct Malir district; however, none of them were killed this year.
According to the PPP Karachi president, activists belonging to all political parties are being murdered; therefore, all parties – especially the PPP, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Awami National Party – should adopt a joint strategy to stop these killings. Talking to Pakistan Today, the PPP leader said that his party was ready to play its due role for restoration of peace in the city.
He also said that an across-the-board operation is needed in the metropolis to eliminate targeted killings and terrorism.
