Funeral prayers of MQM workers, Shia cleric

Tension, fear grip several parts of Karachi

Staff Report

KARACHI: Tension and fear gripped several parts of the city, particularly North Karachi, Ancholi, Shahrah-e-Pakistan and its surrounding areas on the occasion of funeral prayers of three Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) workers and Shia cleric, here on Tuesday.

Three MQM activists Syed Hassan Raza, Atif Usmani and Mohammad Ijteba were found dead on Monday night on Mirza Adam Khan Road in Lyari. Entire localities were echoed with gunshots while the routine and commercial activities were also suspended. A heavy contingent of Rangers and police were deployed to avoid any untoward incident. The funeral participants also shouted slogans against the killings and blamed the Lyari gangsters for these killings. Their funeral prayers were offered at Sir Syed ground in North Karachi, which was attended by score of people, including MQM leaders Dr Sagheer Ahmed, Khwaja Izharul Hassan Wasay Jalil and Hammad Siddiqui. The victims were later buried at Shah Mohammad graveyard. Hassan was the employee of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, Atif was a factory worker and father of two children while Ijteba used to work at the private bank and his wedding was scheduled in coming days.

Police have registered an FIR (147/12) on the complaint of younger bother of Hassan namely Javed Hussain against 10 unidentified persons but police officials suspected the involvement of the Lyari gangsters behind the killings. They also detained about one dozen suspected Lyari gangsters during overnight-targeted raids in Lyari. A police official said a police party conducted a raid in several areas of Lyari, detained around 10 suspects and initiated an investigation regarding three MQM workers’ killing and missing person Mubeen.Separately, funeral prayer of Maulana Ghulam Muhammad Amini, a prayer leader of Masjid Noor-e-Eman, who was killed in Nazimabad No 3 on Monday, was offered at Rizvia Imambargah after Zuhr prayers. On the occasion of his funeral prayers, tension engulfed several areas, including Nazimabad, Rizvia, Liaquatabad, Sharah-e-Pakistan, Ancholi and other Shia dominated areas.All shops and markets were closed due to uncertain condition. When his body was moved to Wadi Hussain graveyard and reached Ayesha Manzil and Naseerabad area, unidentified men set to ablaze three motorcycles.

Later, he was buried at Wadi Hussain graveyard, Super Highway. Angry protesters chanted slogans against Maulana Amini’s murders and demanded of the government to arrest the culprits involved in his murder. Heavy contingents of police and rangers were deployed to control any untoward condition and police sources claimed that they detained three persons involved in riots during Amini’s funeral procession.

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