KARACHI, Sept 28: Three more people were killed on political grounds while sectarian attacks left two other men dead on Friday as the law-enforcement agencies appeared helpless to stem the violence that claimed a total of 10 lives across the city.

Just over the past three days, the rising wave of killings has left at least 31 people dead, many of them on political and sectarian grounds.

On Friday, two Muttahida Qaumi Movement activists, a Pakistan People’s Party worker and a worker of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat and a pesh imam of a Barelvi mosque were gunned down in separate incidents of firing.

Police said that a young man was gunned down at a welding shop in the old city area of Kalakot.

They added Arsalan, 23, son of Mohammad Zaki, was at his shop near Ghans Mandi when armed men opened fire on him and fled.

The victim was a resident of Usmanabad and a worker of MQM Unit 32, Lyari sector, the police said.

Kalakot SHO Javed Baloch said that the victim died before he could be shifted to hospital. The body was later taken to the Civil Hospital Karachi, where a large number of party workers reached after learning about the incident.

The police investigators seized several spent bullet casings of a 9mm pistol found at the crime scene. They said the victim had sustained gunshot wounds to his head and chest.

Following the killing, tension gripped the old city areas compelling traders to keep their businesses closed.

In New Karachi, a watchman said to be an MQM activist was shot dead on Friday night.

Police said Abdul Hakeem was on duty at the New Karachi town office where he was sprayed with bullets. He died on the spot, they added.

The body was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.

The police said that he was a resident of New Karachi Sector 5 and father of three.

PPP worker shot dead

A young activist of the Pakistan People’s Party was sprayed with a volley of bullets near his house in the old city area, police said.

Amjad Baloch, 26, was targeted as he came out of his house near Salar Compound. He sustained seven gunshot wounds and died on the spot, the police added.

They said that the victim was a brother-in-law of senior PPP member and former chief security officer of Bilawal House Akram Baloch.

Following the killing, all commercial activities around Bhimpura and Spencer’s Eye Hospital were suspended.

Napier SHO Aslam Gujjar said that the police investigators seized nine spent bullet casings of a 9mm pistol found at the crime scene.

He said the manner in which the young man was ambushed showed that the attackers had carried out complete planning. He said for some time, there was a conflict between Akram Baloch and defunct People’s Amn Committee.

ASWJ man shot dead

The owner of a spare parts shop associated with the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Golimar, police and party sources said.

They added that Mirza Sohail Baig, 36, was targeted outside his spare parts shop in Peetal Wali Gali of the Golimar area. The victim sustained three gunshot wounds to his chest and head, causing his instant death, said an official at the Rizvia police station.

Sub divisional police officer (SDPO) Rustam Khattak said the victim was waiting for his son when he was killed.

“Sohail was father of three,” he said, adding that the killing seemed to be part of the ongoing sectarian attacks.

The police shifted the body to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.

Seeking immediate arrest of killers, an ASWJ spokesman Maulana Saeed Akbar said the victim was a party member.

Prayer leader killed

A pesh imam was gunned down near Millennium Mall on Rashid Minhas Road, police said.

They added that Kashif, 30, son of Irshad, was killed in a drive-by shooting. He died while being shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, said an official of the Sharea Faisal police station.

The victim was a resident of New Karachi and belonged to the Barelvi sect, he added.

Tailor killed

A tailor master, Zakirul Islam, 40, was killed at his shop near Fatima Bai hospital within the remit of the Soldier Bazaar police station, officials said.

While the police quoted his family as saying that he was not associated with any political or sectarian group, the ASWJ spokesman claimed that he was a party supporter.

The victim was pronounced dead on arrival at the Civil Hospital Karachi, the police said, adding that he was a resident of Soldier Bazaar.

Rickshaw driver killed

A rickshaw driver was killed within the remit of the Garden police station, officials said.

Asif Ramzan, 30, was shot dead near Jilani Masjid, the police said.

The police added that he was a resident of Ranchore Lines and said to be an MQM supporter.

Enmity claims life

A resident of North Karachi was shot dead over what police described as a personal dispute in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

Zubair Siddiqui, 45, sustained four gunshot wounds in a drive-by shooting near NIPA in Block 5 of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, the police said.

Gulshan-i-Iqbal SHO Rana Haseeb said that the victim was a technician at a pathological lab situated at NIPA.

“It is being suspected that the killing was result of some personal enmity,” the SHO added.

Elderly man found shot dead

A 63-year-old man was found shot dead in Korangi-3, police said.

They added the victim, Arif Hidayat, was trussed up before being shot thrice in Sector 2-1/2.

The police later shifted the body to the JPMC.

The victim was a resident of Teen Hati and father of eight.

The officials quoted victim’s son Farhan as saying that he often used to leave the house for a couple of days. As a matter of routine, he left the house two days back telling his youngest daughter to keep his room cleaned.

Fisherman killed

The body of a middle-aged fisherman was found from the ICI Bridge within the remit of the Docks police station in the early hours of Friday.

The police shifted the body bearing torture marks to the Civil Hospital Karachi where he was identified as Abdul Latif, a resident of Nayabad, Lyari.

The police said that investigation was under way to ascertain a motive for the killing.

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