Violence in Karachi

[karan.1970]

DAWN.COM | Metropolitan | Eighteen killed in Karachi violence

KARACHI: Eighteen people lost their lives in Karachi on Saturday amid warnings by the administration of terrorist strikes during a by-election.

The Awami National Party announced late in the evening that it would boycott the by-elections to a Sindh Assembly constituency in Orangi Town (PS-94) scheduled for Sunday. The seat had fallen vacant after the murder of MPA Raza Haider in August.

The 18 people were killed in two separate attacks at tea shops while 15 others were wounded in different parts of the city following the Police said that a man was killed in Shah Bukhari Colony, Banaras area when unknown persons riding a motorcycle opened fire at him.

The victim, identified as Zafar, was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital but he died on the way.

Late on Saturday night an unidentified bullet- riddled body of a young man was recovered from the Orangi Town, police and rescue sources said.

Additional Police Surgeon Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Dr Liaquat Memon said that a victim Zafar has been brought dead at the hospital while 15 year old Tauqeer was admitted in a very serious condition with a gunshot wound.

He said that six gunshot wounded have been brought to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

In Baldia No 4½ four armed suspects came at Madina sweet mart shop and fired gunshots wounding father Razzak and son Waqas were seriously, SP Baldia Town, Zahid Husain said.

The wounded were rushed to the Civil Hospital, where Waqas died during treatment, hospital sources said.

Later in the night, in another incident of firing in Baldia Town, unknown persons riding on motorcycle opened fire at a hotel in Rasheedabad where five persons were killed and two injured.

Unknown persons opened fire at a minibus near Kaati Pahari in which Qaiser, 17 was killed and Sanbor was wounded. They were taken to the Qatar Hospital, rescue sources said.

An owner of tea hotel was killed in Gulshan-e-Iqbal when unknown persons riding a motorcycle shot him at his hotel in Block 7, near Maskan Intersection.

A duty officer of the Gulshan-e-Iqbal police station said that owner of Sufian Hotel, Allahdad Khan was killed in the firing incident.

Body of a young man identified as Mohammad Husain was found from the limits of Garden police station on Saturday night. SSP Saddar Javed Akbar Riaz said that victim was resident of Lyari who had died of gunshot wounds.

In the limits of Pak Colony police station bullet riddled bodies of two unidentified young men were found. Police shifted to the Civil Hospital.

In a firing incident on tea hotel in Malir 15, in the limits of Malir City police station a hotel employee Faizullah Kakar was injured, he was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for treatment.

Police said that unknown persons also opened fire near Kaati Pahari where two persons were wounded.

Similarly, incidents of firing were reported from Quaidabad, Sohrab Goth, Peerabad area.

In Garden area of Ramsawami two persons were wounded when unknown persons opened fire.

The wounded Fazalullah and Sufian were rushed to the Civil Hospital for treatment.

In Ghans Mandi near Risala police station two persons including a child were wounded when unknown persons resorted to firing.

Unknown persons set light to a vehicle near Kamran Chowrangi in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.

 

[pankaj agrawal]

KARACHI: Gunmen have killed at least 25 people in Karachi in the past 24 hours, raising tensions in the city as voting in PS-94 Orangi Town by-elections came to an end and counting was under way.

Police said they were still investigating the motives behind the shootings, but many so-called ''target killings'' in Karachi have been linked to gangs controlled by the city's main political parties.

''We cannot say whether all the killings were politically motivated or some gangs were involved because the killings took place in different parts of the city and were not confined to the area where the elections were being held,'' Karachi police Chief Fayyza Leghari said.

The two parties most linked to violence in Karachi —the MQM and the ANP—have their electoral bases in different ethnic groups that make up a large chunk of the city's population.

Police had boosted security at polling stations in the by-election for a seat in the provincial assembly.

The ANP, boycotted the by-election after complaining that the MQM would rig the poll. It also said authorities had failed to provide adequate security.

The MQM accused the ANP of carrying out the killings, an allegation it denied.

“Soon after announcing its boycott of the by-election, ANP's terrorists began killing innocent citizens in a bid to sabotage the election process,” the party said in a statement.

At least 25 people have been gunned down in Karachi since Saturday evening, said Zulfiqar Mirza, the home minister of Sindh province, where Karachi is the capital. He called on party leaders to come forward to ''help us turn Karachi back into the city of light and peace.''

''If someone has a complaint, it should not be settled on the street,'' Mirza told a news conference. ''It is disappointing that we are shedding our priceless blood with our own hands.''

The dead include members of a broad range of ethnic groups in the city, he said.

Police have arrested at least 60 people in connection with the most recent shootings, Mirza said. But few killers in such cases have ever been brought to justice, and motives for the attacks have not been revealed.

Haider Abbas Rizvi, a senior MQM leader and member of Parliament, accused the ANP of being behind the shootings, saying ''19 of our workers and supporters have been killed so far.''

The MQM's leadership was weighing all options in response to the violence, including withdrawing from the provincial coalition government, said a party source. The MQM has made similar threats in the past.

Senior ANP member Amin Khattak denied the accusation, saying, ''we are not involved in killings, and I think that this blame game should be stopped.''—Agencie

DAWN.COM | Metropolitan | Target killings in Karachi claim 25 lives

 

[SpArK]

Gunman kill 29 in Pakistan's Karachi as election held​

By Reuters

Hospital workers console a man grieving for a family member who died after being targeted in Karachi October 17, 2010. REUTERS/Majid Hussain



KARACHI (Reuters) - Gunmen shot to death at least 29 people in Pakistan's commercial hub Karachi over the weekend, deepening tensions as a by-election was held to replace a lawmaker who was murdered in August.

Violence broke out Saturday night when gunmen opened fire in several parts of the southern Pakistani city of 18 million ahead of the vote. At least 29 people have been killed since then, police said.

The election was being held to replace lawmaker Raza Haider, a member of Karachi's dominant Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) whose killing by gunmen two months ago triggered violence that resulted in 100 deaths in a single week.

The MQM accused its rival, the ethnic Pashtun-based Awami National Party (ANP), of carrying out the attacks and killing some of its members. The ANP, which had boycotted the polls over rigging fears, denied the allegations.

"Soon after announcing its boycott of the by-election, ANP's terrorists began killing innocent citizens in a bid to sabotage the election process," the MQM, which was expected to win the election by a large margin, said in a statement.

Karachi has a long history of ethnic, religious and sectarian violence. But hundreds of targeted killings this year have raised concerns that violence would escalate and create a new crisis for the U.S.-backed government in Islamabad.

Gunman kill 29 in Pakistan's Karachi as election held

 

[Veeru]

target killings and ethnic cleansing is not new in pakistan.

 

[pankaj agrawal]

why this is happening??? so sad.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

target killings and ethnic cleansing is not new in pakistan.

This is not 'ethnic cleansing' - it is a turf war between political parties.

 

[sparklingway]

This is not 'ethnic cleansing' - it is a turf war between political parties.

MQM wants monopoly over an entire city. It is having trouble doing so. It's a professional blackmailing party and opposing it's monopoly and trying to vie for influence are the ANP and PPP. They have their own areas in the city that the MQM cannot penetrate politically.

The least common denominator is ethnic cleansing motivated primarily by desire to maintain influence and control over various parts of the city. It's very common and easy to label it as political turf, which is essentially not wrong but mislabeling the issue and failing to understand the problem. Gang affiliations with parties are fleeting and only based on mutual benefit.

And before anyone throws the need-to-control-gangs-through-force card, we saw what happened in the '90s.

 

[Spring Onion]

why this is happening??? so sad.

Political killings. Today there were bypolls on a seat. and ahead of the polls a ruling party there even lifted ban on double riding on bike which is one of the lethal ways of spraying bullets.


one political party boycotted the elections whereas PPP and MQM were contesting

 

[pankaj agrawal]

Political killings. Today there were bypolls on a seat. and ahead of the polls a ruling party there even lifted ban on double riding on bike which is one of the lethal ways of spraying bullets.


one political party boycotted the elections whereas PPP and MQM were contesting

but it is happening over a long period of time.

 

[Von Hölle]

This is not 'ethnic cleansing' - it is a turf war between political parties.

Two ruling political parties ..both part of the same govt

One representing Mohajirs, other representing Pashtuns..involved in killing of pashtun migrants and Mohajir politicians respectively ..I think it is ethnic violence bordering on ethnic cleansing, though difference is both the sides are taking shots..there is no helpless victim side.(that is if we ignore the actual victims)

 

[IBRIS]

Pakistan needs to implement strict gun control Laws. During election or religious gatherings all must deposit there weapons to local police stations or face serious repercussions with revocation of their gun license and weapon must be seized.

There is no other way to contain such incidents from happening over and over again. Pakistan in the current state must begin disarming it's civilians first to differentiate in between good or bad people who are like cancer to it's society.

 

[Pashtun786]

Pakistans internal matter people, Political killings.

 

[Spring Onion]

Two ruling political parties ..both part of the same govt

One representing Mohajirs, other representing Pashtuns..involved in killing of pashtun migrants and Mohajir politicians respectively ..I think it is ethnic violence bordering on ethnic cleansing, though difference is both the sides are taking shots..there is no helpless victim side.(that is if we ignore the actual victims)

Yes there is a helpless victim side and that is Pukhtun Pakistanis

PPP kills MQM people. MQM Kills PPP people. In between both are allies at official level therefor MQM make it sound like MQM-ANP tussle and PPP does the same.

And i you go back its the Pukhtun Pakistanis are are being killed in large numbers by these criminal thugs of MQM.

Still ANP had always refrained from messing up the things. Just look at this violence linked to election today. ANP did not take part in election knowing well that MQM terrorists will kill Pukhtun Pakistanis for voting against them.

---------- Post added at 11:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:55 PM ----------

but it is happening over a long period of time.

Indeed but political crimes have a long history

 

[Hello World]

Four shot dead in Karachi

KARACHI: Four people have been shot dead in different areas of the metropolis on Saturday.

Police said that one man was shot dead near Korangi graveyard, while two bodies have been found near the Nazimabad Enquiry Office. Both these men have been killed by unknown miscreants, police added.

Bakhat Khan, 40, was shot dead near Toll Plaza Baqai Hospital. The cause of the killing was not ascertained. SAMAA

.:: SAMAA - Four shot dead in Karachi

 

[Von Hölle]

Yes there is a helpless victim side and that is Pukhtun Pakistanis

PPP kills MQM people. MQM Kills PPP people. In between both are allies at official level therefor MQM make it sound like MQM-ANP tussle and PPP does the same.

And i you go back its the Pukhtun Pakistanis are are being killed in large numbers by these criminal thugs of MQM.

Still ANP had always refrained from messing up the things. Just look at this violence linked to election today. ANP did not take part in election knowing well that MQM terrorists will kill Pukhtun Pakistanis for voting against them.

---------- Post added at 11:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:55 PM ----------



Indeed but political crimes have a long history

If we assume your argument to be correct, then it would suffice as a text book example of ethnic cleansing.

However I thought long drawn argument against Pakhtuns(ANP) was, that they had links with Taliban(would be logical, if someone were to racially profile Taliban) through which they are able exact revenge (if that what it is being called).