Incidents of targeted killings, on political and apolitical grounds, in the city have dropped by 63 percent while sectarian killings dropped down by 28 percent till the third quarter of this year, according to the statistics compiled by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Monday.
The statistics show a significant decrease in the number of targeted killings, on apolitical, political and sectarian grounds. Moreover, the casualties of policemen also decreased by about 39 percent.
In the past nine months, 208 people with no political affiliation were killed as compared to 568 last year, showing a decrease of 63 percent. Similarly, the number of people killed with political affiliation this year was 40, as compared to 107 in the corresponding period last year, also showing a decline of 63 percent in the number of incidents.
Sectarian killings also showed a declining trend with 69 people shot dead in the nine months of this year as compared to 97 in the corresponding period of 2014. May 2015 appeared to be the deadliest month with at least 45 members of the Ismaili community losing their lives in a cold-blooded attack on their bus in Safoora Goth.
On the other hand, the following months of June, July and August passed relatively peaceful with no sectarian killing reported from the city. One man was killed on sectarian grounds in September, according to the report.
However, the number of people killed at the hands of law enforcement agencies increased by two percent than the corresponding period from the last year.
The Karachi office of the HRCP regularly compiles data pertaining to violence in Karachi from information available in leading newspapers.
According to the report of third quarter, 431 people were killed in encounters with law enforcement agencies so far this year as compared to 421 people last year, showing an increase of two percent from the corresponding period in 2014.
Out of the 431 people killed, 332 died in police encounters while 98 in shootouts with paramilitary personnel. One man was reported to have died from alleged police torture. Last year till now, 332 people had been killed in police encounters while 87 died while fighting paramilitary forces. Two people were killed due to alleged police torture.
The report showed that killings of members of proscribed and militant organisations also decreased by 12 percent this year. Till September 2015, 51 alleged members of banned outfits were killed in encounters while last year the number of 58, a decline of 12 percent. Fortunately, the casualties of law-enforcement personnel decreased this year by around 39 percent with 69 cops and four paramilitary personnel losing their lives this year. Last year, 114 policemen and 11 Rangers men lost their lives in the first nine months in different incidents of violence.
