Following an attack on a leader of ANP, the city on Tuesday came under an intense wave of violence and arson resulting in the death of nine people and injuries to over 20 others, including a private TV channel reporter, at various parts of the metropolis. According to details, unknown armed men assaulted local ANP leader Rahim Khan Swati in Qasba Colony.
He sustained bullet wounds and was shifted to a private hospital. Subsequently, miscreants, who took positions on hilltops and other surrounding areas of Orangi Town, indiscriminately sprayed bullets on passers-by, commuters and others, which left three killed and over a dozen injured. The deceased were Hidayat, Asmatullah, and Ejaz Hafiz while injured were Gull Nawab, Rafiq, Yasin, Asif, Ramiz, Zohaib, Shafiq, Akhter, Anwar and others, who were shifted to Qatar, Abbasi and Jinnah Hospitals.
Law enforcers, who were not involved in bringing law and order situation in control during violence, blocked all interlinked roads of Orangi Town including Kati Pahari, Banaras, Qasba Colony and others to avoid further casualties. The wave of violence also engulfed Sher Shah where miscreants gunned down Javed Akbar son of Abdul Wahid and Salahuddin son of Salam. Their bodies were shifted to Civil and Abbasi Shaheed hospitals for legal formalities. Near Tuesday evening, unknown armed men resorted to heavy gun shooting on a passenger bus (60), which claimed live of one Gul Khan, injuring three others, namely Tanveer, Aqil and Ismail.
Later, a 25-year-old Muhammad Hussain was shot dead at Qasba Colony No 2 1/2 in the limits of Pirabad police station. The body of a shopkeeper of Sher Shas scrap market was found in the jurisdiction of Saeedabad police station. The deceased, who must have faced severe torture over the suspicious of spy by Lyari gangsters, was found near Sania Hall in Saeedabad police limits. The body of the victim, identified as Shakir Baloch, was handed over to his heirs after autopsy.
The market union people, who offered funeral prayers at the market Masjid, staged sit-in against poor law and order situation, which has so far claimed the lives of over 20 shopkeepers. The level of fear became more intense when unknown armed riders opened indiscriminate bullets on the protesters, which left a brother of shopkeeper namely Lallu killed and several others including Adil, Shoaib, Gulzar, Amir, Munawar, Sumair and Qayyum injured. The wave of violence also gripped several other vicinities of the city including old Subzi Mandi, Sohrab Goth, Quaidabad, Sultanabad and Shah Faisal Colony where intermittent firing suspended all social and commercial activities.
At least three persons received bullet wounds in Hassan Square area near old Subzi Mandi while armed riders resorted to firing at outside the ANP office located in Essa Nagri. Following the said attack, scores of gunmen came out from different places and started indiscriminate firing, which suspended vehicular traffic for hours. Several parts of Orangi Town remained tense till filing of this report where miscreants also torched two private vehicles and ransacked private property on ethnic grounds.