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Anti-encroachment campaigner gunned down

By Faraz Khan

KARACHI: The chairman of the Karachi NGOs’ Alliance, Nisar Hussain Baloch, who was also the president of the Gutter Baghicha Bachao Tehreek (GBBT), was shot dead by unidentified suspects at Love Line Bridge, within the limits of Soldier Bazaar police station on Saturday.

Baloch, 40, who raised his voice for the 480 acres of Gutter Baghicha land was gunned down around 10:10 am, while he left his house on his motorbike, to by a newspaper. He was near Old Golimar Bridge, which is now known as Love Line Bridge, when unidentified motorcyclists intercepted him and opened indiscriminate fire. He hit by four bullets, however, he managed to get off the bridge on his motorcycle before falling down at the Garden Road area.

The police reached the scene and later, Edhi rescuers shifted Baloch to the Civil Hospital, Karachi (CHK) where he succumbed to his injuries.

Police officials said that the attackers used 9mm pistols in the assassination and they escaped from the scene.

The police said Baloch was amongst the staunch opponents of illegal encroachments on Gutter Baghicha land, and as a result, was in the land grabbers’ bad books, allegedly backed by an influential political outfit of the city. Two passers-by named Yousuf, 40, and Tariq, 31, also sustained injuries during the incident and were also shifted to CHK for treatment where their condition was said to be stable.

Baloch had addressed a press conference at Karachi Press Club, just a day before he was killed, against the occupation Gutter Baghicha land and had accused a political party of backing illegal encroachments on the land.

An FIR has been registered under Sections 302 and 324 against unidentified suspects on behalf of the deceased’s brother Nooruddin, who said the revelations made by Baloch’s during the press conference were threatening for his opponents, as he had mentioned their names in public.

After Baloch’s death, most of Old Golimar and Pak Colony were shut down in protest. Groups of people gathered and took out rallies against the murder and the police had to be called to control the situation. On the other hand, business activities came to a complete halt and roads were blocked from Old Golimar to Bada Board area.

Baloch was associated with several NGOs as a social worker, and was a schoolteacher by profession. He started his social career by establishing a street school ‘Aap Ka Madrassa’ in 1976, where he provided free education to children and adults.

Later, in 1986, he established the Baloch Promotive Computer and English Language Centre in Old Golimar for the youth of the area, from where thousands of people have achieved IT degrees. Similarly, he had been involved in providing several educational and sports activities for the people of his area.

Apart from educational activities, he played a vital role in serving the old settlers of the city.

Currently, Baloch was campaigning against the land mafia for grabbing the real state land of Tran-Lyari Park (Gutter Baghicha) located in Site Town on the platform of the Gutter Baghicha Bachao Tehreek, Shehri and Karachi NGOs’ Alliance for many years. In this regard, he had launched several agitation campaigns and struggled for the welfare of the people of the area.

Nasir Kareem Baloch, an former chairman of the Baloch Rights Council, strongly condemned his murder and expressed his dissatisfaction over the performance of the law enforcers and the government. He said Baloch’s murder proves that the land mafia in Karachi has become really influential. He said Baloch had launched the struggle for social rights; he was not involved in any political cause.

He said that the attackers were on three motorbikes; one man intercepted his bike, the second fired at him and the third man was there for backup. He said the Sindh governor, city nazim and SITE Town Nazim Izharuddin should request the police to nominate the names of those people in the FIR who were mentioned in the press conference. He said out of 480 acres of land, 100 acres have been occupied and out of that, almost 60 percent by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. Some cases including firing at MQM’s leader Haider Abbasi Rizvi were also registered against Baloch.

He further said Baloch was also associated with the Pakistan People’s Party but none of the party’s leaders arrived for condolence.

The deceased was married ten years ago and had adopted a son, who is now two years old. His funeral prayers were offered near Gutter Baghicha and he was laid to rest at Mewashah graveyard.

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