At least ten people had been killed while several others injured in fresh spate of target killings and violence in different localities of the provincial metropolis, authorities claimed on Wednesday. According to police sources, unidentified armed assailants gunned down one person identified as Arsalan, 28, in Khokhrapar, Malir area and fled the scene. The deceased was an activist of a political party. Likewise, miscreants escaped from the site after killing a Custom employee Akber Ali at Sharifabad. Police recovered a tortured and bullet riddled dead body of 25 year old Waseem, resident of Reviewer Road from the area of Mango Pir. The body was shifted to hospital. Unknown armed men gunned down one Ehtesham ul Haq, 32, in Surjani Town. Police said that the incident could be an outcome of personal enmity. Apart from this, a dead body was recovered from MC Ground near Civil Hospital. The corpse of a youth had also been found from a stream in the jurisdiction of Memon Goth police station but it couldn’t be identified. Yawer Mehdi, 50, lost his life in an incident of firing at Nazimabad Round Market. Tension prevailed in New Karachi sector 5-G after the funeral prayers of slain Jamat-i-Islami member Abdul Rasheed. Heavy contingent of police and rangers was deployed in the tension hit area. Meanwhile, six persons were reported injured in various firing incidents in different areas of Karachi. The citizens foiled a bid to kidnap a minor girl and captured the kidnapper.
First 17 days of July witnessed the death toll rising to 109 in Karachi as violence in the metropolis did not see any decline despite tall claims from the concerned authorities. According to a report, number of casualties in the last 17 days was 109 while the total toll had exceeded 1000 in the year 2012 so far. Fifty two policemen were gunned down in the past six months while traders and businessmen were also targeted by the extortionists and target killers. Eighteen traders/businessmen were kidnapped for ransom or to obtain extortion money. Chairman Karachi Traders Ittehad Atiq Mir in an interview with a private TV channel said that extortion mafia had once again become active and hundreds of traders were receiving daily messages through written notes, calls or SMS from extortionists demanding millions of rupees. He said the money extortion led by the mafia ran into millions of rupees.
Patron in-chief, President, Vice President and Chairman Legal and Finance Advisory Committee along with Managing Committee of Bin Qasim Association of Trade and Industry (BQATI) expressed their concern over deteriorating law and order situation of Bin Qasim Industrial Zone. Looting and snatching incidents have become routine matter at Manzil Pumps and under the Quaidabad Bridge during traffic jams. President BQATI briefed that the law and order situation of the area is deteriorating continuously. Organized gangs are operating in the area and are involved in kidnapping for ransom, car snatching, looting and killings which is a source of great concern for the business community and has negative effect on the trade and industry and such incident on key points during traffic gridlock has created a lot of panic among the foreign engineers and technical staff working at Bin Qasim Industrial Zone. These events have reemphasised on the need to implement strict security measures to minimize the risk of criminal activities in the area and to improve traffic situation during sensitive hours.
