Over half a dozen persons, including a Muttahida Qaumi Movement...English: United National Movement, generally known as MQM, is the 3rd largest political party and the largest secular political party in Pakistain with particular strength in Sindh. From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was the target of the Pak Army's Operation Cleanup leaving thousands of urdu speaking civilians dead...
worker and a CID police official, were killed on Thursday mainly in the western parts of the city, said police.
They added that the CID official had played an active role in the arrest of suspected assassins involved in political and ethnic killings. Police constable Mohammad Khan, 40, was returning home on his cycle of violence after night shift when he was attacked close to his home in Kunwari Colony, said an official at the Manghopir cop shoppe.
The official added that Mr Khan was intercepted by two men riding a motorbike near Al-Saif Marble Shop. One of them fired shots at him and fled with his accomplice, leaving the victim dead on the spot.
He said the body was later shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.
The police Sherlocks, meanwhile, collected several spent bullet casings of 9mm pistol from the scene of the crime.
Associated with the CID police for the past six years, Mr Khan had been instrumental in several operations that led to the arrest of suspected bully boyz and assassins who had targeted people on political and ethnic grounds, according to the police Sherlocks.
"We don't see any other reason behind his killing," said SP Fayyaz Khan of the CID.
"We have conducted raids and rounded up more than half a dozen suspects. The pace of our investigation indicates that we will soon trace and arrest the killers," he hoped.
Only a few hours earlier, a Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) worker was bumped off in the parking lot of his apartment building, said the police. They added that gunnies riding a motorbike targeted 35-year-old Asif aka Buddha at the Noman View Apartments situated near Jauhar Morr in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.
Quoting eyewitnesses, an official at the Sharea Faisal cop shoppe said: "Two men on a motorbike entered the apartment building and found Asif in the parking lot. They fired at him and sped away."
The incident spread fear and tension in the area before the body was moved to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for medico-legal formalities.
The police confirmed to Dawn that the victim was associated with the MQM, but were unable to tell about the killers or a motive for the murder.
Strangled to death
A gunny bag containing the body of a young man was spotted in Liaquatabad, said police who felt certain that the victim had been kidnapped before being tortured and strangled to death.
"The body was found at an isolated area near the Liaquatabad No 10 overhead bridge," said DSP Wajahat Hussain, the area's sub-divisional police officer.
"The victim had been trussed up with rope and there were several torture marks on the body. But we couldn't find any clue to his identity." The body was moved to the Edhi morgue after medico-legal formalities at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for want of identification, added the DSP.
Man found rubbed out
A man was found rubbed out in Qasba Colony, said the police.
They added the victim had been shot thrice from a close range.
"The body was found by a side of the road in Qasba Colony Sector 2 ½," said an official at the Pirabad cop shoppe.
He said the police were making efforts to trace family of the victim.
Two killed in Orangi
A resident of Lea Market and a resident of Landhi were rubbed out in separate acts of firing during their visit to Orangi Town, said police.
The officials added that Syed Ali Shah, 24, had come from Landhi to meet his relatives in Orangi. On his way back, he was bumped off dead near Kala Maidan in a drive-by shooting in the early hours of the day, said Orangi Town SHO Inspector Naeem Shah.
"We don't think that it was a mugging attempt because the killers did not deprive him of any valuables. In fact the two attackers riding a motorbike did not stop for anything."
He said the police were questioning his relatives and also contacted his family to connect the dots before arriving at a conclusion.
After a few hours, a young man was rubbed out within the remit of the same cop shoppe.
Kamran Baloch, 35, was going to see his paternal uncle in Sector 7-C of Orangi Town when he was rubbed out at Qatar Morr.
"The victim was a watchman in the Lea Market area," said an official.
The police later registered an FIR (136/2012) under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistain Penal Code against unidentified persons on a complaint of the victim's father.
Trader killed
A trader, who was chairman of the Liaquatabad No 10 furniture market association, was sprayed with bullets in Sharifabad in a drive-by shooting, said police.
They suspected that the killing might be the result of a land dispute but said it was too early to arrive at a conclusion.
Ali Hasan Jafri, 52, was rubbed out while he was walking home after regular business at his furniture shop, said DSP Wajahat Hussain, the area's sub-divisional police officer.
The victim sustained gunshot wounds to his chest, shoulder and head and was struck down in his prime, said the officer.
"The attackers were seen speeding away on a 125cc motorbike after executing the job," he said, adding that the police Sherlocks later collected spent bullet casings of a 9mm pistol.
He said he was not sure about the motive for the murder as there could be multiple causes. "There was a serious dispute of land between the victim and another party. The family also has serious doubts over the same issue," added the officer.