Fresh wave of targeted killings hit old city areas

The fresh wave of target killings has hit the old city area of the metropolis brining about 40 percent businesses to closure for the last three days, traders said on Saturday. "Infiltrating into the old city areas from central parts of the metropolis, the menace of target killings has inflicted huge losses on traders during the last 10 days," said Chairman of All Karachi Tajir Ittehad, Muhammad Atiq Mir.
He said the killings of a religious party in old city area some three days back, stirred up protests and street agitation in the commercial and financial hub of Karachi. He said police was just a standing spectator to the whole issue whereas the government seemed totally indifferent to the violence in the city. "For the first time threat of target killings pervaded into the Karachi's largely peaceful and commercially significant area," he expressed worries, urging the conflicting groups to resolve their issues amicably.
Mir said street crimes had always been in the area but now target killings had caused serious worries to the traders. "The situation in markets is worrying, as traders work amid violence, rumour and threats of forced closure of their businesses in daylight," he maintained.
Any killing takes place in the area immediately prompting protests and counter strikes of violence against the opponents or intimidation to traders to shut their markets forthwith, he said. He criticised the Sindh Home Department and its minister for not taking brisk action against the target-killers, urging Zulfiqar Mirza to hold its police officials responsible for surge in crimes and killings.
He said the daily wage labourers were suffering utmost due to chaos in the city, as there were about 2 million people who earn livelihood on a daily basis. Visits to the markets in old city area revealed that despite police deployment there, a batch of a religious party's activist were forcing the traders to shut their businesses. Trade activities in different areas were nominal for threat from the activist of serious consequences to traders if their calls were unheard.