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KARACHI: As the death toll in the fresh wave of targeted killings carried out on political and ethnic grounds rose to 25 on Thursday, police backed by Rangers rounded up more than 200 suspected criminals with a majority of them belonging to political parties.
The death toll rose in the early hours of Thursday when a 40-year-old activist of the Pakhtoonkhawa Milli Awami Party succumbed to his wounds during treatment at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
“Mohammad Khan and his three friends were sitting at a roadside teashop in Sector 19-D when they were targeted by armed motorcyclists on Wednesday night,†said an official at SITE-A police station. Mohammad Khan was seriously wounded and shifted to the hospital, where he died during treatment within a few hours. The victim was said to be associated with the party’s Baldia chapter.
In an attack near Abul Hasan Ispahani Road, two friends were intercepted by four armed men riding two motorbikes. Both the friends, in their late 20s, were returning home after attending a religious gathering. “Nusrat Ali and Rashid Malik were killed in Bhukkur Goth, an area close to Abul Hasan Ispahani Road,†said an official at the Sachal police station. In a violent reaction to the killing, some youths burnt tyres on the road, the police said, adding that the situation was handled through negotiations with area elders.
In North Karachi, 16-year-old Sajid Khan was on his way home from his friend’s place when unidentified armed men shot him dead near KBR Society in Sector 16-A of Buffer Zone. The Shahrah-i-Noor Jehan police said that the teenager was a resident of F.B Area block 13.
A young watchman, Irfan, was found shot dead early in the morning inside his rented quarter near M.A. Jinnah Road. The victim had suffered two bullet wounds in the chest, an official at the Risala police station. “We think the killing was executed in the middle of the night.â€
The body of an unidentified young man clad in a light blue shalwar was found in Surjani Town early in the morning. The body with torture marks visible on it was spotted by some transporters in an open plot close to the bus terminal of route W-18 buses.
“They informed the police about the body. After completing medico-legal formalities at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, the body was shifted to the Edhi morgue in Sohrab Goth for want of identification,†said an official at the Surjani Town police station. He said that the victim was strangled to death.
Thirty-two-year-old Bakht Mahmood was killed in Orangi Town No 5 on Thursday evening, said an official of the Orangi Town police station.
Suspects held
The police claimed to have succeeded in tracking down suspects involved in the targeted killings that staged a comeback with the killing of an ANP activist on Tuesday night after February 2010. However, the number of arrests made in a single day came as a surprise to many.
“We have arrested more than 600 people and over 200 of them are suspiciously involved in the targeted killings,†the capital city police officer (CCPO) Waseem Ahmed told Dawn. He replied in the affirmative when asked about the political associations of the suspects detained over charges of targeted killings.
“We have arrested them on our own intelligence regardless of their ethnic backgrounds or political associations. But definitely there are number of suspects, who are political activists,†he said.
On Wednesday, the city police chief said the recent wave of targeted killings was carried out on “ethnic and political groundsâ€.
Rangers given police powers for 30 days
The Singh government on Thursday once again armed the Rangers with police powers to carry out raids and search operations and to arrest suspected criminals.
Effective from Thursday, these special powers are for 30 days. Earlier, such powers were given to the Rangers on Feb 3 and the notification, issued under Section 5 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, lapsed on May 3.
This decision was taken at a meeting held at the office of the home secretary on Thursday in the wake of the targeted killing of 25 persons in the city.
Presided over by Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, the meeting was also attended by the inspector-general of the Sindh police, the director-general of the Rangers, the home secretary, the AIGs of the Special Branch and CID, the CCPO Karachi, the zonal DIGs of East, West and South, the DIG (HQ) and officials of other law-enforcement agencies.
Speaking to a group of media men after the meeting, the home minister said that so far over 200 suspects had been rounded up.
In reply to a question, the home minister said that criminal elements were involved in the targeted killings, explaining that those who did not have political existence might have a hand in the killings to destabilise the government.
In reply to another question, Dr Mirza said there would have been daily targeted killings if there was no ban on pillion riding.
Body to check killings
The meeting unanimously decided to set up a committee consisting of representatives of the police, Rangers and other law-enforcement agencies to check incidents of targeted killing and to arrest elements involved in the incidents.
The committee will chalk out a strategy in the light of the incidents of targeted killing in the past and the investigations made therein. It will pinpoint the areas where police and Rangers are to carry out joint action to curb such incidents.
The home minister directed the police and Rangers to further improve intelligence collection and start an impartial joint action against criminals, anti-state elements from Thursday and ensure timely action by pursuing intelligence information. He directed that police, Rangers and intelligence agencies ensure liaison among themselves to deal with the day-to-day affairs and for immediate action against criminals.
On the occasion, directives were also issued for strict checking at the city’s entry and exit points and snap checking, and it was decided that additional police and Rangers would be deployed at certain places with joint patrolling.
Dr Mirza directed the police, Rangers and other law-enforcement agencies to adopt all possible measures to maintain the writ of law and ensure protection to the life and property of citizens.
The death toll rose in the early hours of Thursday when a 40-year-old activist of the Pakhtoonkhawa Milli Awami Party succumbed to his wounds during treatment at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
“Mohammad Khan and his three friends were sitting at a roadside teashop in Sector 19-D when they were targeted by armed motorcyclists on Wednesday night,†said an official at SITE-A police station. Mohammad Khan was seriously wounded and shifted to the hospital, where he died during treatment within a few hours. The victim was said to be associated with the party’s Baldia chapter.
In an attack near Abul Hasan Ispahani Road, two friends were intercepted by four armed men riding two motorbikes. Both the friends, in their late 20s, were returning home after attending a religious gathering. “Nusrat Ali and Rashid Malik were killed in Bhukkur Goth, an area close to Abul Hasan Ispahani Road,†said an official at the Sachal police station. In a violent reaction to the killing, some youths burnt tyres on the road, the police said, adding that the situation was handled through negotiations with area elders.
In North Karachi, 16-year-old Sajid Khan was on his way home from his friend’s place when unidentified armed men shot him dead near KBR Society in Sector 16-A of Buffer Zone. The Shahrah-i-Noor Jehan police said that the teenager was a resident of F.B Area block 13.
A young watchman, Irfan, was found shot dead early in the morning inside his rented quarter near M.A. Jinnah Road. The victim had suffered two bullet wounds in the chest, an official at the Risala police station. “We think the killing was executed in the middle of the night.â€
The body of an unidentified young man clad in a light blue shalwar was found in Surjani Town early in the morning. The body with torture marks visible on it was spotted by some transporters in an open plot close to the bus terminal of route W-18 buses.
“They informed the police about the body. After completing medico-legal formalities at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, the body was shifted to the Edhi morgue in Sohrab Goth for want of identification,†said an official at the Surjani Town police station. He said that the victim was strangled to death.
Thirty-two-year-old Bakht Mahmood was killed in Orangi Town No 5 on Thursday evening, said an official of the Orangi Town police station.
Suspects held
The police claimed to have succeeded in tracking down suspects involved in the targeted killings that staged a comeback with the killing of an ANP activist on Tuesday night after February 2010. However, the number of arrests made in a single day came as a surprise to many.
“We have arrested more than 600 people and over 200 of them are suspiciously involved in the targeted killings,†the capital city police officer (CCPO) Waseem Ahmed told Dawn. He replied in the affirmative when asked about the political associations of the suspects detained over charges of targeted killings.
“We have arrested them on our own intelligence regardless of their ethnic backgrounds or political associations. But definitely there are number of suspects, who are political activists,†he said.
On Wednesday, the city police chief said the recent wave of targeted killings was carried out on “ethnic and political groundsâ€.
Rangers given police powers for 30 days
The Singh government on Thursday once again armed the Rangers with police powers to carry out raids and search operations and to arrest suspected criminals.
Effective from Thursday, these special powers are for 30 days. Earlier, such powers were given to the Rangers on Feb 3 and the notification, issued under Section 5 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, lapsed on May 3.
This decision was taken at a meeting held at the office of the home secretary on Thursday in the wake of the targeted killing of 25 persons in the city.
Presided over by Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, the meeting was also attended by the inspector-general of the Sindh police, the director-general of the Rangers, the home secretary, the AIGs of the Special Branch and CID, the CCPO Karachi, the zonal DIGs of East, West and South, the DIG (HQ) and officials of other law-enforcement agencies.
Speaking to a group of media men after the meeting, the home minister said that so far over 200 suspects had been rounded up.
In reply to a question, the home minister said that criminal elements were involved in the targeted killings, explaining that those who did not have political existence might have a hand in the killings to destabilise the government.
In reply to another question, Dr Mirza said there would have been daily targeted killings if there was no ban on pillion riding.
Body to check killings
The meeting unanimously decided to set up a committee consisting of representatives of the police, Rangers and other law-enforcement agencies to check incidents of targeted killing and to arrest elements involved in the incidents.
The committee will chalk out a strategy in the light of the incidents of targeted killing in the past and the investigations made therein. It will pinpoint the areas where police and Rangers are to carry out joint action to curb such incidents.
The home minister directed the police and Rangers to further improve intelligence collection and start an impartial joint action against criminals, anti-state elements from Thursday and ensure timely action by pursuing intelligence information. He directed that police, Rangers and intelligence agencies ensure liaison among themselves to deal with the day-to-day affairs and for immediate action against criminals.
On the occasion, directives were also issued for strict checking at the city’s entry and exit points and snap checking, and it was decided that additional police and Rangers would be deployed at certain places with joint patrolling.
Dr Mirza directed the police, Rangers and other law-enforcement agencies to adopt all possible measures to maintain the writ of law and ensure protection to the life and property of citizens.
