Intense fear gripped the entire city after nine persons, including a provincial legislator of MQM and his guards, were killed on Thursday. As many as five vehicles were set ablaze in various parts of the city. Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) announced a three-day mourning period and urged its supporters to bear this loss with patience and avoid reacting in a rash manner.
Police officials said that four attackers on motorcycles opened fire on the vehicle of MQM's MPA Manzar Imam near Nishan-e-Haider Chowk in Orangi Town's Sector 12-L, killing him and one of his guards on the spot. His driver and another of his police guard were critically injured and they died at hospital. Police shifted the bodies and injured persons to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
Police guards were identified as Constable Imran and Constable Sajid while driver was identified as Murad. Police said that Manzar Imam was shot six to eight times. They said that the MPA was ambushed as he left his home. In August 2010, another MQM MPA, Raza Haider, from another Orangi Town constituency, was shot dead in the Nazimabad area.
According to an MQM official, Manzar Imam, 41, was elected as member of the Sindh Assembly from PS-95 in 2008 general elections. He also served as member Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KW&SB). The MQM official said that Manzar Imam, who got married three years ago, had also been attacked a year and a half ago. He left behind a widow and two children.
Soon after the incident, tensions gripped various parts of the city. Unknown persons resorted to firing in the air, forcing shopkeepers to keep their businesses shut. Petrol pumps and CNG stations were also shut down and people opted to rush back home to avoid any potential backlash. The Private Schools Association announced that schools would remain closed on Friday while the University of Karachi and Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) also postponed their papers scheduled on Friday (today).
Funeral prayers of the deceased would be offered at Jinnah Ground in Azizbad after the Friday prayers. Meanwhile, prayer leader of a mosque was gunned down in Zaman Town. The deceased was identified as Asghar Ali Noorani, 40. The body was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. The deceased was a local leader of Jamiat Ulma-e-Pakistan's (JUP) Noorani group.
A worker of Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat (ASWJ) was gunned down in the limits of Ibrahim Haideri police station. The deceased, identified as Hafiz Talha, 32, was an activist of ASWJ. The body was shifted to ASH. A seminary student was shot dead near Brooks Chowrangi in the limits of Korangi Industrial Area police station. The deceased, Mohammad Hassan, 25, was studying in Jamia Noorul Ulum in Mehran Town.
Another youngster was gunned down near Noorani Kabab House in the limits of Ferozabad police station. The deceased, identified as Muneeb, 20, lived in Baldia Town. The body was shifted to Jinnah Post-graduate Medical Centre. In Pak Colony police precincts, a four-day-old body bearing torture marks was recovered from Rexar Lines. The victim's identity could not be ascertained till the filing of this report.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.