Thirty-six people were killed and 87 injured in 16 incidents of political violence between March 16 and 22 across the country, compared with the preceding week when 43 were killed and 63 injured in 17 incidents, says the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN).
During the week under review, three political party workers were also killed and as many injured in three electoral violence incidents reported in Karachi.
Civilians constituted majority of the 123 victims – 33 killed and 82 injured. Three security personnel were killed with another five sustaining injuries. Region-wise Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the most volatile where 21 people were killed and 48 injured, followed by Sindh (15 killed, 34 injured) and FATA (five injured).
This week political violence was reported in four districts and two tribal agencies, compared with five districts and two tribal agencies in the preceding week. Karachi was the only Sindh district reporting 10 political violence incidents that claimed lives of 17 people, including three MQM workers and two policemen with 28 others being injured. Of these incidents, nine were aimed at public while one targeted the state security forces.
Nowshera was the second most violent district where 17 people were killed including women, and 28 injured in a car bomb blast at a World Food Programme (WFP) food distribution point. In a suicide attack on a Judicial Complex in Peshawar, four people, including a policeman, were killed and 48 others injured. Among the injured was a female Additional Sessions Judge. Five security personnel were injured in an attack on military personnel in North Waziristan Agency. In another incident in the suburbs of Peshawar, a CD shop was blown up by militants. A gas pipeline and government-run school were also blown up in Jaffarabad and Mohmand Agency respectively.
Terrorism incidents affected the most people during the reporting week leaving 26 people dead and 86 injured in eight attacks – two each in Peshawar and Karachi and one each in Nowshera, Jaffarabad, Mohmand Agency and North Waziristan Agency.
Four people were killed in as many incidents of target killing in Karachi. Three sectarian violence incidents claimed the lives of three people while another three people were killed and one injured in attacks on political party workers.
In an incident of electoral violence, the workers of MQM and PML-F clashed in Karachi in which a PML-F leader was killed and three MQM workers injured. In two other incidents, two MQM workers were killed.