TTP, Sindhi separatists are re-emerging in Karachi, warns CRSS report

A report issued on Thursday claims that Sindhi separatist groups and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan have re-emerged as key violent actors in Karachi.

The report issued by Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) has said that the Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA), a proscribed Sindhi separatist group, were behind two death incidents – one of a former law enforcement official in the Sachal neighborhood and another of an activist of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in Gulshan-e-Iqbal who was taking part in a pro-Kashmir rally of the party – in the port city.

The Interior Ministry, in May, had banned the SRA along with the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz-Arisar, and the Sindhudesh Liberation Army for their involvement in terror activities.

The report, which recorded incidents during July to September this year, found a hike in attacks on policemen in Karachi.

As per CRSS, five policemen were killed in the metropolis during the aforementioned period. Among those death, TTP has claimed the killing of one police officer, identified as Arif Khan. He was fatally shot in Korangi on September 19.

It is suspected that the TTP is also behind the remaining attacks, the report says.

Several areas of Karachi, including Manghopir, Sohrab Goth, Ittehad Town and Landhi, had been strongholds of the TTP until the launch of a security operation in September 2013 against violent groups operating in the city.

The militants group attacked police officers, polio-vaccination medics and workers of various liberal political parties such as the Awami National Party. The report has also found it “quite alarming to see hate-filled sectarian rallies” in Karachi from September 11 to 13.

As for rest of the country, a total of 132 fatalities from violence were recorded during the third quarter of 2020 with 162 people injured.

Nearly 58 percent of the total fatalities were recorded in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) (including former FATA), while Balochistan had the next highest number of fatalities (23), followed by Sindh (19), Gilgit Baltistan (GB) (7), Punjab (6), and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) (1).

While Punjab and Islamabad appeared to be the least affected by violence, KP and Balochistan were the worst affected regions of the country.