KARACHI, Nov 30: At least five people, including a father and his son, were shot dead and a 12-year-old daughter of a victim and a friend of another victim were wounded in four ‘sectarian’ attacks in different parts of the city on Friday, police said.
The officials added that all the victims, except one who was an activist of a banned group, belonged to one sect.
During this week, more than half a dozen people, including a couple, belonging to the same sect have been gunned down in drive-by shootings in the metropolis.
The Friday attacks began with an early morning ambush on a car on Shaheed-i-Millat Road resulting in the death a 45-year-old man who was going to drop his daughter at her school, the police said.
An official of the Ferozabad police station said that Nazar Abbas was going to drop his daughter, Mehzar Zehra, 12, to her school in his car when it came under attack. Both father and daughter sustained multiple bullet wounds and were rushed to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where Nazar was pronounced dead on arrival. The girl was later shifted to a private hospital on Stadium Road where she was admitted for treatment.
Ferozabad ASP Ghulam Murtaza Malik said that a 9mm pistol was used in the shooting. He said the deceased was a resident of Martin Quarters and a ‘Shia Azadari Anjuman’ member.
Ferozabad SHO Humaiyon Khan said that the deceased was a clerk in the provincial health department.
Both officers were of the opinion that the attack was carried out on sectarian grounds.
The police registered a case (742/2012) against unidentified gunmen on a complaint of the victim’s brother, Qamar Abbas, at the Ferozabad police station.
The victim’s funeral prayers were offered at Imambargah Shah-i-Najaf in Martin Quarters after Friday prayers.
Man, son gunned down
A father and his son going to a mosque on a motorbike to offer Juma prayers were gunned down in Baldia Town, police said.
The officials added that the killing took place near Bakra Peeri, Yousaf Goth within the remit of the Saeedabad police station.
Attackers were said to be driving a pick-up van, the police said.
Ghulam Qadir, 65, and his son, Fazal Abbas, 32, were residents of Naval Colony, said SHO Gulshan Junejo. They suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died before they could be shifted to the Civil Hospital Karachi, he added.
The police said that the victims dealt in fruit and vegetables.
The SHO said that earlier also a son of Ghulam Qadir had been killed.
The family was Shia and hailed from Faisalabad, SHO Junejo said, adding that the killing appeared to be part of the ongoing sectarian attacks in the city.
Following medico-legal formalities, the bodies of father and son were shifted to a cold storage facility at Numaish. The funeral prayers for the two victims were offered at Mehfil-i-Shah-i-Khurasan on Friday night.
Shop owner, friend killed
A department store owner was killed and his friend was wounded in a gun attack in Shah Faisal Colony, police said.
The officials added Riaz Hussain, 48, and his friend, Mehdi Shah, 40, sustained gunshot wounds in the attack carried out by armed motorbike riders on the shop of Riaz in Green Town. The attackers sped away following the shooting.
Riaz Hussain died while being shifted to a hospital, while Mehdi Shah received treatment at the JPMC before being shifted to a private hospital, the police said.
Shah Faisal Colony SHO said that Riaz Hussain used to run a jewellery shop before switching to the business of department store a few years ago.
Father of three, the deceased had married twice and had separated from his second wife a few months ago, the police said.
His friend was a scrap dealer and in his free time used to sit at Riaz’s shop, the police said.
The motive for the killing could be sectarian but personal enmity could not be ruled out at this stage, the SHO said.
ASWJ man shot dead
An activist of the banned outfit, Ahle Sunaat Wal Jamaat, was sprayed with bullets in Orangi Town, police said.
They added that Usman Ghani, 29, was gunned down at Qasba Morr within the remit of the Pirabad police station.
DSP Zahid Hussain said that the victim was associated with the marble industry, situated on Manghopir Road. He was a resident of the area where the killing took place.
The victim sustained seven to eight shots causing his instant death. The police shifted the body to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.
The deceased hailed from Mohmand Agency, the officer said, adding that the killing appeared to be a result of some personal enmity. However, an ASWJ spokesman, Maulana Akbar Saeed Farooqui, claimed that Usman Ghani was their activist. He said that the killing seemed to be part of the ongoing sectarian attacks.
