The holy Friday, too, was not an exception when it comes to the cold-blooded and politically-motivated assassinations popularly known as “targeted killings” in the violence-hit metropolitan of Karachi. Until the filing of this report, the day saw at least 12 people falling victim to this menace in different neighbourhoods of the city. Dozens others reportedly suffered bullet injuries.
Orangi Town was the worst-affected area where seven people were shot dead by gun-toting motorcyclists, said the police. They said unidentified men opened fire at Gaddafi Chowk in the Orangi Town police precincts, injuring three people, and managed to escape.
The wounded were rushed to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) where they were declared dead upon arrival. The victims were identified as Kamran, Nawab and Aslam. The police did not confirm their political affiliation with any party.
Another incident of firing occurred in Aligarh Bazaar of the town where a fruit vendor was shot dead by unknown assailants. His body was shifted to the JPMC where he was identified as Abdul Hamid, 40, a resident of Orangi No 5. No case was registered until the filing of this report. Fear gripped the area after the incident, forcing the locals to shut their routine activities.
Bullet-riddled bodies of two young men, whose hands and feet were bound with ropes, were recovered near the town’s Salman Farsi Masjid.
The bodies of the deceased bore torture marks. Police suspect that the victims were tortured before being shot dead. Police said that the killers shot the victims in the head. The deceased were identified as Muhammad Wazir, 25, and Imtiaz, 18. Two men were also injured in a firing incident in Orangi No 1. Identified as Salman and Aslam Khan, they were rushed to the JPMC where Salman was declared dead upon arrival.
“It’s premature to say anything about the nature of the incidents,” said Superintendent of Police Malik Zafar Iqbal. The officer confirmed the deaths of seven people in different areas of Orangi Town. He said that heavy contingents of the police department have been deployed in the town to provide security to the people. He added that station house officers have been directed to patrol their respective areas and provide security to the residents.
In another incident, a rickshaw driver was injured near Lasbela Chowrangi. The victim was taken to the JPMC where he succumbed to his bullet wounds. Unknown gunmen injured a young man in Shanti Nagar. The wounded was identified as Muhammad Wazir, 25, who succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital.
Another man was injured in a firing incident near Bilawal House in the Boat Basin police precincts. The wounded was identified as Muhammad Hussain, 40, and was rushed to the JPMC where he succumbed to his injuries. No FIR of the killing was registered until the filing of this report.
Unidentified gunmen intercepted and killed a man near New Sabzi Mandi in the Sohrab Goth police precincts. Police identified the deceased as Babar Hayat. A man was also killed in the Memon Goth area of Malir. His body was shifted to the JPMC.
