KARACHI, July 15: Some 1,726 people were killed in the city during the fist six months of 2013, showing a steep rise of over 42 per cent against the 1,215 killings recorded during the corresponding period of 2012, says a report.

According to the report prepared by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the single largest cause owing to which people were killed was “targeted killing non-political persons” which claimed 545 victims, while the second cause, trailing way behind with 203 fatalities, was “abducted and killed”.

Some 73 people were killed on sectarian grounds, and 69 killings involved the role of law-enforcement agency personnel, whereas 110 LEA personnel — 92 policemen and 18 paramilitary personnel — also lost their lives, says the report, adding that 174 people were eliminated for their political views.

The deadliest month, according to the report based on reports published in newspapers, of the first half year was June when 313 people lost their lives, which is way ahead of the 229 killings reported in June 2012.

Similarly, the second deadliest month of the year was March, when 311 people were killed against 182 killed in March 2012. During January this year 291 people died as against last January’s 153. February saw 271 people killed against last year’s second month’s death toll of 149.

During April 262 people died against 258 dead during the corresponding month last year. May saw 278 people dead whereas last year’s death toll during that month was 244.

The report shows that last year the number of killings for the first three months was way below, 200, and for two out of the rest of the three months it was below 250, while it crossed the mark of 250 just once; whereas during the current year the figure never dropped below 250, and crossed the figure of 300 twice.

The report says that of the 69 people in whose killings involvement of LEA personnel was indicated, 57 were killed in police “encounters”, nine were killed by paramilitary personnel and three by police.

The report shows that 101 bodies were found, the largest number of 48 being found in June. It says 92 people were killed in bomb blasts, whereas the Lyari gang warfare left 41 dead. Karo-kari (honour killing) claimed six lives. It says that 49 people were killed by robbers, 101 were killed due to enmity and two were killed by security guards.

Children and women It shows that 78 children were killed for different reasons, including sectarian grounds. Nineteen children were killed by stray bullets; 18 were killed owing to enmity; 13 were killed in bomb blasts; 10 were abducted and killed; three were killed on sectarian grounds.

The report says that 83 women were killed during the first six months of the current year. Relatives killed 37 women; 21 others were killed by unidentified people; nine were killed owing to Karo-kari; seven were killed by stray bullets; five were killed in bomb blasts; two were burnt to death and one was killed by a security guard.

The HRCP said that despite the high number of people killed in the city, curbing violence and killings did not appear a priority for the authorities. It said the inability or unwillingness to improve law and order, and the government’s failure to apprehend killers was inexplicable.

It deplored that the fatalities were increasingly being seen as mere statistics rather than loss of humans which reflected a failure of the state to protect human life. The impact that the killings had on families of the victims and society at large was not being given the attention it deserved.