KARACHI - Police and paramilitary troops were ordered on Friday to shoot on sight in Karachi as up to another 33 people were killed by Friday evening, bringing the total death toll to 110 in four days of ethnic and political violence.
Shops and fuel stations were shut and public transport idled after the city’s dominant political party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), announced a day of mourning in response to the latest violence in the country’s financial hub.
The impotence of the government and law enforcement agencies was evident from the continued violence as unrelenting battles between the gangsters enjoying political support and their attacks on innocent citizens continued unabated despite authorities’ claims of taking drastic security measures, including the calling in of 1,000 paramilitary FC troops.
Our staff reporters said they did not see any mentionable presence of the Rangers and the police in the city most troubled areas of the city that reverberated with heavy firing by the armed men ruling the streets with complete impunity.
Giving an account of his visit to the hard-hit Qasba Colony, our staffer Mansoor Khan said: “Children are crying for milk and food in the area but their helpless and frightened parents are unable to get them out of the area or buy them meal as the non-stop and indiscriminate firing is keeping the residents house-bound. The colony is virtually a war zone with heavy street presence of armed men. No common citizen is seen in the area.”
Hundreds of families have shifted to the safer places to avoid the harm while dozens of houses, shops and vehicles were set on fire in different parts of the city. Some unidentified attackers lobbed a grenade in Bheempura area, killing two persons. Miscreants fired four rockets at different areas of Baldia Town. Miscreants also attacked Mominabad police station.
In Qasba number 1/5 Saifullah was shot dead while armed men killed Sakhiur Rehman at Qasba number 2. At Sehzad Cinema, Qasba Colony, a passerby Ghaniur Rehman was shot dead.
In Qasba 2-1/2 and 2/1, Akbar alias Jumman was shot dead while a 19-year-old Usman s/o Suleman was killed near Mubarak Mosque and Yumna, Rehan and Zaghfaran sustained bullet injures. Another victim Yousuf Jinnah in Qasba Colony no 2 was standing outside his home when a bullet riddled his head and he died on the way to Qatar Hospital. In the remits of Mominabad police station, Orangi sector 10, Arshad Khan was gunned down. Firing at Zamzam Bakery located at Iqbal Market, sector 11/1/2 near Siddique Mosque, killed Iqbal S/O Afreen while his uncle Qadar was injured. At Katti Pahari in Sharah-e-Noorjahan Police precincts, a passerby Rafiullah son of Rahimullah was shot dead.
In North Nazimabad near D Silva 30, Arif Ibrahim was shot dead. In Kharader Police limits, Noor Muhammad was shot dead near Galana Road Na-Khuda Mosque. A watchman namely Abdul Qyoom was shot dead by attackers in Bombay Bazaar. Another victim of the same area, 28-year-old Fazalur Rehman was targeted killed at Machi Miani Market. In Saeedabad Sector 8, three men Ayub Masih, Bismillah Khan and an unidentified man were gunned down. In the same area of Baldia Police, sector 7, Ranghar area, a 12-year-old Shahabad sustained bullet injures at his house and died on the way to hospital. Ahsan Rashid of the same area was shot dead near local graveyard.
Miscreants fired bullets and later torched four vehicles in Azizbhatti near Micasa apartments and Hassan Square, killing two man namely Dost Mohammad and Daniyal while Lal Mohammad and Noor Ahmed sustained bullet injures. In Model Colony near railway track, Abid alias Baba was shot dead by unknown assailants. Gunmen on motorbike lobbed hand grenades at a building at Bhimpura in the limits of Nippier Police and also resorted indiscriminate firing which killed Hussain Ghanchi, Maojee and unidentified man.
