Amid tight security and tall claims of district and provincial governments, Karachi remained in grip of lawlessness and heavy aerial firing on New Year Eve.
Around six people, including leader of the Jaffria Allaince, were killed and scores others injured in separate incidents of firing on the occasion of New Year celebrations across the city. According to police, unidentified armed motorcyclists fired at car of Jaffria Alliance leader Raza Askari and his friend Ali Mehdi near Nipa Chowrangi injuring them severely. Both the injured were rushed to hospital where Askari succumbed to his injuries. Jaffria Alliance workers gathered outside the hospital and staged a protest against killing of their leader and chanted slogans against the government.
Police and Rangers shifted the body of Askari to Ancholi under tight security. The bullet-ridden body of an unidentified man was recovered from Guru Mandar locality. Eyewitnesses said that the body was dropped from an unidentified pickup on early Sunday. The body was shifted to Civil Hospital where identity of the deceased was yet to be confirmed.
Karachities resorted to heavy aerial firing and fireworks to celebrate the New Year. Around two people were killed after being hit by bullets fired from unidentified locations on New Year Eve in Usmanabad area of Lyari locality. Another citizen died after a stray bullet hit him in Orangi Town. A minor kid was killed by bullets in Sakhi Hassan area for the same reason.
Police arrested two merrymakers and recovered arms from their possessions. Around 25 people were injured amid firing incidents with regard to New Year merriments in Karachi, eight in Hyderabad, two in Mirpurkhas and dozens others in other parts of Sindh.
Officers were on high alert to avert any violence in almost all major cities, where New Year celebrations were traditionally quiet. In Karachi, thousands of people took to the streets to see in 2012 but police prevented many from getting to the shores of the city citing security fears. “Aerial firing on New Year night killed three people. Fired bullets have also wounded more than 60,” Hamid Parhair, provincial police surgeon said. Parhair said that 36 people were taken to two government hospitals while the rest were treated for minor injuries at private hospitals.
