At least six people, including a trustee of an Imambargah, were killed in different incidents of violence and targeted killings in the port city on Monday.
Imambargah caretaker Shaukat Sherazi, 45, and Qaiser Hussain, 50, were killed when unknown armed motorcyclists opened fire on them at Mithadar near Sherazia Imambargah in the Old City area.
The bodies were shifted to a civil hospital for medico-legal formalities. Superintendent Police (SP) City Sheraz Nazir said that Sherazi and Qaisar were sitting in an office at Mithadar near Sherazia Imambargah when attackers shot them dead.
According to sources, Shaukat Sherazi was also a member of Jaffaria Alliance Pakistan’s south wing. Situation in Mithadar, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Malir and Abul Hassan Isphahani Road turned tense after the incident. Shops were closed in these areas.
The Majlis-e-Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) has announced that it would hold nationwide protest on Friday against the killing of Shaukat Sherazi. A MWM spokesperson said that incidents of targeted killings were failure of the law enforcement agencies. The Shia organisation will also take out rallies across the country on Friday, the spokesperson said.
Separately, Farhan Afzal, 40, son of Afzal Ahmed, was gunned down by unidentified armed men in Mianwali Colony within the limits of Manghopir police station. The victim was owner of a marble factory. The body was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
Another person, Mohsin Agha, 50, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen near Dak Khana bus stop in Liaquatabad No 2. Earlier, Sadaqat Begam, wife of Zainul Hassan, was gunned down by unidentified armed men in Keamari late Sunday night. The body was shifted to civil hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Moreover, a teenage boy was killed by unidentified gunmen in North Karachi 5-C-4 near Baradari. The body was brought to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities. The identity of the victim could not be ascertained as yet.
Meanwhile, 10 suspected criminals were arrested by Rangers in Metroville SITE area. Weapons were also recovered from their possession, claimed the paramilitary force.
Police also claimed to have arrested seven suspected extortionists and targeted killers in raids conducted in different areas of the city. Karachi, a city of 18 million people which contributes 42 per cent of Pakistan’s GDP, is rife with murder and kidnappings and has been plagued for years by ethnic, sectarian and political violence.
Police along with Rangers are already carrying out operations against criminal groups to curb sectarian and political killings in the port city.
