Twelve men, including two workers of the 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...
, were bumped off on sectarian and political grounds on Wednesday, as the government and law-enforcers failed to take measures to stem the rising wave of assassinations in the city.
In yet another incident of assassination on sectarian grounds, an engineer working at a cellular firm was rubbed out near his residence in Federal B Area's Block 17.
The police said that Mirza Zaheer Abbas, 35, was returning home after dropping off his children at a nearby school in the morning when assailants wearing helmets and riding a
cycle of violence targeted him near Rehmat Bakery within the remit of the Samnabad cop shoppe. The killers escaped.The victim suffered a bullet wound in the head and was struck down in his prime. The body was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.
He was father of three.
"The victim had left home for work but returned to take his lunch box and that was when he was targeted," said Liaquatabad division SP Salman Hasan. "First he dropped his children to a nearby school and left for work, but returned home to take his lunch. All of his belongings were there. They didn't take along even his cellphone."
He said that a 9mm pistol was used in the killing. "So far circumstancial evidence suggests that it is another sectarian killing."
Following the murder, tension gripped the Incholi, Gulberg and Samanabad areas where shops and other businesses were closed in protest against the killing.
Amid strict security arrangements, the body was taken from the hospital to Inchoali and the funeral prayers were held at the Imambargah Khairul Amal. A large number of people attended the funeral of the victim. The victim was laid to rest in the Wadi-e-Hussain graveyard.
The police quoted family sources as saying that the victim had no enmity.
MQM men, passer-by rubbed out
A worker of the MQM and a passer-by were bumped off and two others maimed in an armed attack within the remit of the Rizvia cop shoppe on Wednesday.
Police said that Zafar aka Aligadhwala was sitting near an eatery, Zamindar Hotel, where four men riding two cycle of violences emerged, pulled out their weapons and fired shots targeting him.
"The assailants hit a motorcyclist while fleeing and they shot him too to ensure their safe escape," said area DSP Rustum Khattak. The firing also left two men, identified as Altaf and Iqbal, maimed.
All the four persons were shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where Zafar and the motorcyclist, Zahid Hussain Zaidi, were pronounced dead on arrival.
"The MQM activist was the real target of the assailants, but they didn't take any chances and killed the other man as well," DSP Khattak observed.
The police said that Zafar was a worker of Unit 189 of the Gulbahar sector of the MQM's organizational structure.
The second victim was living near Jafria Imambargah and was not associated with any political or religious party, he added.
Following the killings, tension gripped the locality and shops and markets were shut.
Meanwhile,
...back at the pound, Zebulon finally found just the friend he'd been looking for...
another worker of the MQM was rubbed out in Korangi Industrial Area on Wednesday.
Police said that the incident took place in Haji Ibrahim Goth where two gunnies riding a motorbike targeted Mahir Ali, 32.
The victim was a resident of the same area and a member of the MQM's Muttahida Organising Committee, the police said, adding that at the time of the incident he was going to bring his children from school.
He was a labourer.The victim suffered gunshot wound in the head and died before he could be taken to hospital. The body was moved to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medico-legal formalities.
Following the incident tension gripped the locality and shops were close down.
PPP man, friend shot dead in Surjani
Two persons, including an activist of the Pakistain People's Party, were bumped off in Surjani Town on Wednesday night.
Police said that gunnies riding a cycle of violence targeted two men, 32-year-old Umar Sheikh and Lal Fazal, who were sitting outside their house in Khuda Ki Basti within the remit of the Surjani Town cop shoppe.
The victims were rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where they died.
A local PPP leader, Sohail Abidi, said that victim Sheikh was an active worker of the party. He was married about four months back, he said.
He condemned the continuing killing of the PPP workers in the city and called for an immediate arrest of the culprits.
'MQM supporter' killed in Lyari
A young man was killed in Lyari
...one of the eighteen constituent towns of the city of Karachi. It is the smallest town by area in the city but also the most densely populated. Lyari has few schools, substandard hospitals, a poor water system, limited infrastructure, and broken roads. It is a stronghold of ruling Pakistan Peoples Party. Ubiquitous gang activity and a thriving narcotics industry make Lyari one of the most disturbed places in Karachi, which is really saying a lot....
on Wednesday night, police said.
SP-City Sarfraz Nawaz said that the victim, identified as Bilal, was seriously maimed and died at hospital during treatment. "He came to the Lee Market area to meet someone. He was standing there when gunnies riding a cycle of violence targeted him and rode away," he added.
The police said that the victim was a resident of the Defence area.
They said that victim's friends who had come to the hospital told the police that he was not a member of any political party, but a supporter of the MQM.
Youth killed, two maimed in attack
A young man was killed and two others maimed in an armed attack inside a Wednesday Bazaar in New Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It may be the largest city in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
on Wednesday night.
Police said that the incident took place within the remit of the New Bloody Karachi cop shoppe where gunnies walked into a weekly bazaar and shot up Nisar alias Pamperwala and fled.
The victims were rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where Nisar was pronounced dead on arrival.
The police said that it was not immediately clear if the victim had any political affiliation or not.
'Peddler' rubbed out in Orangi
A young man was killed in Orangi Town on Wednesday.
The Mominabad police said that gunnies opened fire on Naeem Baloch, 30, in Faqeer Colony and escaped.
The victim was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
He's dead, Jim!
on arrival. He suffered two bullet wounds in the head and neck causing his instant death.
DSP Abdul Waheed said that he was a drug peddler and had been released from jail three days back. He was probably killed by his opponents, he added.
Man rubbed out in Shanti Nagar
A man was killed in Shanti Nagar on Wednesday evening.
Police said that assailants riding a cycle of violence opened fire on Jameel Shetho, 35, who was sitting outside his house. The victim died before he could be shifted to a hospital. Later, the police shifted the body to the JPMC for medico-legal formalities.
They said that they were looking into the background of the victim to ascertain the motive of the killing.
Body found in gunny bag
The body of a man stuffed in a gunny bag was found in Lyari on Wednesday.
Police said that body was found on Mirza Adam Khan Road within the remit of the Chakiwara cop shoppe.
The victim had been shot in the head.
The police shifted the body to the Civil Hospital Bloody Karachi where he was identified with the help of an identity card as Khurram Shahzad, 32.
They said that according to the ID card the victim was a resident of Mauripur and originally hailed from Punjab.
Elderly man rubbed out in Malir
An elderly man was bumped off in a Malir locality on Wednesday night.
Police said that assailants riding a motorbike fired at Nazeer Ahmed Nawab, 60, who was sitting close to his house in Hansabad within the remit of the Al-Falah cop shoppe.
The victim died before he could be shifted to hospital.
The police said that the killing appeared to be a result of some personal enmity.
The body was shifted to the JPMC for medico-legal formalities.