KARACHI: Three workers of the Ahle Sunnat Waljamat (ASWJ) were killed in two suspected ‘sectarian’ attacks in the Malir and Orangi Town areas while five “notorious gangsters” were gunned in an ‘encounter’ with the Rangers in Salar Goth on Sunday, officials and party sources said.

Two young men belonging to the ASWJ were shot dead in a suspected ‘sectarian’ attack on the main National Highway near Malir Halt in the evening, the airport police said.

They added the victims were riding on a motorbike when two gunmen also on a motorbike attacked them near the local headquarters of Rangers.

They were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), where doctors pronounced them dead on arrival, said Dr Seemin Jamali, head of the emergency department.

The deceased were identified as 28-year-old Naseem Khan and 24-year-old Mohammed Asif, residents of Mujahid Colony in Nazimabad.

The police also recovered a diary containing name of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamat, said Malir SP Rao Anwar.

The senior officer added that the double murder occurred around 50 feet away from the Rangers local headquarters.

The victims were office-bearers of the ASWJ in district central, said a spokesperson for the ASWJ.

In the other incident, a shopkeeper was shot dead while his son was wounded in a suspected sectarian attack in Orangi Town, the Pakistan Bazaar police said.

They added that the man and his son were sitting at their shop at Islam Chowk near the Farooq-i-Azam mosque at around 11.15am when two gunmen riding a motorcycle appeared. One of them got off the motorbike and opened fire on them from a close range. Fifty-five-year old Akhter Hussain and his 26-year-old son Athar Hussain sustained critical wounds and were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where doctors pronounced the father dead on arrival.

It appeared to be a targeted killing incident linked with sectarianism, said SHO Nasir Mehmood. The victim was a worker of the ASWJ, said the party spokesperson.

Five gangsters killed in ‘encounter’

The Pakistan Rangers, Sindh on Sunday claimed to have killed five alleged gangsters in an ‘encounter’ took place in the Salar Goth area of Malir, officials said.

One of the deceased was stated to be the main character in the gang warfare in parts of Malir. He was allegedly involved in a recent grenade attack in which one man was killed while 12 others were hurt in the area.

The officials said that the paramilitary force conducted a targeted operation at suspected hideouts located near the Malir riverbed of elements involved in the Lyari gang warfare, a Rangers spokesperson said.

The suspects started ‘indiscriminate fire’ on seeing the soldiers, upon which the Rangers returned fire and during the ‘heavy gunfight’ five suspects were killed, added the official.

The Rangers official described the deceased as “notorious gangsters”.

He identified them as Akber Maliri; Khalid Lashari; Sheraz Ibrahim, alias Comrade of Malir; Gulab Hasan, alias Peero; and Yousuf Pathan. Weapons were seized from their possession.

“The gangsters were the symbol of terror in the city and were involved in numerous murders and other heinous crimes,” claimed the paramilitary force official.

“Akbar Maliri was the main character of the gang warfare in Malir and belonged to the Uzair Baloch group,” said Malir City SHO Faisal Khan.

He added that Maliri was also allegedly involved in a grenade attack at a ground near Salar Goth on January 26, in which a man was killed while 12 others were hurt.

The police said that the grenade attack took place at a ground owned by one Javed, alias Munna Brohi, who belonged to the Noor Mohammed, alias Baba Ladla, group, said to be their rival gang. The victims were local people who had gathered there because electricity had gone off at that time in the area.

Customs official shot dead

A customs official, who was shot at and wounded in Gulshan-i-Iqbal on Thursday, succumbed to his wounds during treatment in a private hospital in the early hours of Sunday, the Aziz Bhatti police said.

They added that 56-year-old Mohammed Salahuddin Khan was parking his car near his house in Block 13-C when gunmen attacked him and fled.

The wounded man was taken to a private hospital where he died.

“It appeared to be a targeted killing incident,” said SHO Abbas Ali Kolachi.

He added that Mr Khan was hit on his legs and he was not in a position to speak.

Spokesperson for the Pakistan Customs said that Salahuddin Khan was a preventive officer.

‘Extortionist’ killed in Kalakot

A young man, who had allegedly come to collect extortion money, was shot dead in the Kalakot area of Lyari on Sunday evening, the police said.

They added that the man in his early 20s was shot at and wounded by gunmen at Chakiwara II.

He sustained bullet wounds on his head and was taken to the Civil Hospital Karachi, where he died during treatment, said a hospital official.

His identity could not be ascertained immediately.

Initial report suggested that he had gone there to collect ‘protection money’ when he was attacked, claimed SHO Safdar Mashwani.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2015

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