Violence goes on unabated; 27 lives lost: scores of vehicles torched

Violence and arson, which was expected to abate since the beginning of Ramazan, intensified in many parts of the metropolis that gulped 27 lives and injured several others. Around 10 vehicles, 50 bikes and half a dozen eateries were also torched during intense wave of violence on Monday.
Various vicinities of Karachi including Orangi town, Gulfamabad, Pirabad, Mominabad, Qasba Colony, Bukhari Colony, Tauheed Colony, Manghopir, Pak Colony and Old Golimar, Garden, Sohrab Goth Industrial Area and others remained tense where miscreants were roaming fearlessly and deteriorating the law and order situation. Three persons namely Habib-ur-Rehman, 45, Imran Hussain, 26 and Naeem Niaz, 30 were gunned down in separate incidents at various parts of Surjani Town including Yousuf Goth, Taiser Town and Khuda Ki Basti while seven others including two cops sustained bullet wounds in an armed clash.
Meanwhile, the miscreants also set, six hotels, four vehicles including three passenger buses and a loading truck on fire during armed clash. As like past, the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) remained toothless to bring the situation in control, as they were unable to penetrate the violence-hit areas, leaving the inhabitants of these areas in hysteria. Two more persons including an activist of MQM Hanif and Kamran were killed after having been kidnapped in separate incidents at the most volatile locality 'Orangi Town'.
Subsequently, several parts of Orangi Town including Gulfamabad, Pirabad, Mominabad, Qasba Colony, Bukhari Colony and Tauheed Colony fell into strong grip of tension where over a dozen people got bullet wounds during crossfire.
In the meantime, the miscreants torched two more passenger coaches and a rickshaw besides hurling hand grenade on police van but luckily no causality was reported in this incident. The miscreants had also injured several passers-by by charging batons at different bus stops in Orangi town. The wave of violence also engulfed Pak Colony and Old Golimar as two dead bodies including a corpse of MQM worker Ashfaq Ahmed were recovered.
Following the incident, scores of inhabitants staged a protest demonstration over the upsurge of kidnapping and killing incidents. The protesters burnt tyres and pelted stones on moving vehicles, which led to massive gridlock at all main arteries for hours. The protesters also set two vehicles including a KESC truck on fire at Garden road.
The most tragic incident took place at Sohrab Goth Industrial Area, where around a dozen of armed men barged in the parking lot of one of the textile mills and torched some 50 parked motorbikes. Although heavy contingents of police along with high officials including DIG East, SSP east and others rushed to the spot but these movable assets of the workers got severely burnt before their arrival. DSP Iftikhar Lodhi said this was the parking area of textile industry and all vehicles were owned by factory employees.
DSP said that a cop Nazar also received bullet injuries in this incident. Ten more persons including the activist of Pakistan People's Party and a cop were killed in separate violent acts in various parts of the metropolis. An activist of PPP Munawar Hussain son of Ali Dad Gabol was gunned down in the limit of Mobina town where a vehicle was also torched after the incident.
An elderly man Zar Lal, 60 and his young son Niaz Khan alias Niazi were shot dead at Sharah-e-Noor Jahan Block S North Nazimabad. Police said both victims were targeted while sitting outside home. One Hayatullah was killed while Shahid sustained bullet wounds when unidentified armed shooters targeted them in their restaurant located at Gulistan-e-Jauhar in Sharah-e-Faisal police limits.
A cop Tariq Dad was killed at Sharafi Goth area Landhi. Police said the victim, who was posted in special branch of the bomb disposal squad, was the father of seven. An estate agent Shah Kareem was killed while Rab Nawaz and his son Shahnawaz were injured in an armed waylay at New Karachi. One Abdul Hakeem and Asif Mohammad and an unknown man fall prey to targeted killing at SITE and Aziz Bhatti areas, respectively. SHO Aziz Bhatti said the identity of victim was yet to be ascertained while police shifted his body to JPMC.
SHO Site-A Mumtaz Magsi said the attackers fired indiscriminate bullets on the victim Abdul Hakeem when he was travelling in his pickup. Resultantly, Hakeem was killed while four others including a woman received bullet injuries. A young man was shot dead while other injured at Sheesha Market Bohrapir within the precincts of Eidgah police station. The victim 30-year-old Abdul Qadir son of Usman, a resident of Bohrapir, was targeted when he was sitting with his friend Bilal. Later Bilal also succumbed to his injuries at hospital.