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Four political activists killed

Target killing spree resumes after lull

By Faraz Khan

KARACHI: Despite the imposition of a ban on pillion riding and a red alert in the metropolitan by the police and the government, four people were shot dead in incidents of target killing on Wednesday.

It is believed that all of them were gunned down by men on motorcycles. All four victims were political workers. The police have been looking for the killers as none of the culprits have been arrested yet.

Midday on Wednesday, bullet-riddled bodies of two youths were found near Karbala Ground. The Landhi police arrived at the scene and moved the bodies to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where the victims were identified as Rehan Ghulam Dastagir, 25, and Fareed Sagheer, alias Hur, 22.

When contacted, Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) leaders confirmed that both the victims were affiliated with the party. MQM-H Co-chairman Shamshad Khan Ghouri said that unidentified culprits had kidnapped Rehan and Fareed at gunpoint and later dumped their bodies, adding that Rehan belonged to Unit 83, while Fareed was in Unit 80.

The police said that the incident appeared to be a target killing. Sub-Inspector Hassan Chandio, who was involved in the initial inquiry, told Daily Times, “It is yet to be ascertained whether they were shot dead at the abandoned place or the culprits dumped them here after killing them somewhere else, but it looks likes an incident of target killing.” He said that both the victims were shot two to three times in the neck with a weapon like 9mm.

In another incident, a former MQM-H activist of Unit 196 was gunned down near his residence in Jut Line in the wee hours of Wednesday. The Brigade police said that armed motorcyclists shot Abrar Abdul Shakoor, 40, dead while he was standing at his friend’s pan shop, adding that the victim had received four bullets and died on the spot. The police also said that the victim, who had been working for the City District Government Karachi, was killed in an incident of target killing. The police added that his body was later handed over to his family after legal formalities were completed in Civil Hospital Karachi and that they had registered a case against unidentified people on behalf of Abrar’s cousin, Sher Mohammad.

In a separate case, a Sunni Tehreek (ST) activist was gunned down in Sector 5-G of New Karachi. The New Karachi Industrial Area police said that Amir Qadri, alias Kalu, 26, was sitting with other party workers outside the ST sector office near Town Committee School when someone opened fire on him, adding that it seemed like Amir’s own associates killed him over a dispute, but nothing could be said with certainty until the investigation was over.

However, ST leadership claimed that Amir was a victim of an incident of target killing, saying that two unidentified suspects on a motorcycle gunned him down while he was sitting outside the sector office alone.

As per different reports, following Amir’s killing, the atmosphere in New Karachi turned tense and unidentified people resorted to aerial firing, while shopkeepers were compelled to close down their businesses and public transport was also affected due to violence in the area.

The police said that they have arrested two ST workers, Amir and Hanif, from Bashir Chowk in New Karachi because they were forcing the shopkeepers to close their shops.

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