Target killings claim 36 lives in 15 days

Unabated target killings with the law enforcement agencies much too reluctant to pay heed have claimed some 36 precious lives in the last fifteen days of current month. Political workers of various political parties remained the most targeted victims. Five workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), including former MPA Arshad Qureshi and MQM Karachi Tanzimi Committee Member Farooq Baig were gunned down. The death of Baig, a senior party member, sent a wave of violence rippling across the metropolis. All commercial and non-commercial activities remained suspended for two days while some 35 vehicles were torched. Four people were shot dead including a truck driver, cleaner and a passer-by in Pak Colony and another at Tariq Road. Three activists of Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi were also targeted in separate incidents while two of them were kidnapped before being tortured and shot. The Pakistan People Party (PPP) also claimed that two of its activists were killed. Police although maintained that one of them was killed by his own gang members over some dispute. On the other side, some four people were gunned down in the incidents of sectarian killing. As many as three people of the Jaferia Alliance Pakistan were shot dead while defunct Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam claimed to have lost one activist each. It may be mentioned here that sectarian violence runs high in the metropolis while processions and rallies have also been organised against each other. Following the confrontation between rival sectarian groups, unknown miscreants threw hand grenades at the Saudi Consulate Karachi. Police suspect recent dispute between the rival sects over the involvement of Saudi Arabia in Bahrain civil war was the cause behind the incident. Another tragic incident was reported from Lyari where unknown miscreants hurled grenades at a gambling den, which left three people dead, and about a dozen others wounded. Despite tall claims of the authorities for the prevention of such incidents as well as warnings given by the political parties part of the coalition government many political workers have been continuously falling prey to the curse of target killing and law enforcement agencies should take concrete steps to wipe out the menace. atif raza

 

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