KARACHI, Sept 25: Seven Christians, were shot dead and another was seriously wounded in an NGO’s office located at Rimpa Plaza, here on Wednesday morning. Six of them died on the spot. The other two wounded were taken to the Civil Hospital, where one of them died.

Each of them was shot a single bullet into his head from point blank range. They all belonged to Idara Amn-o-Insaf, a Christian charity which has been operating for the past 30 years.

The dead were identified as: Iqbal Allah Rakha, 40 (driver); Benjiman Sadiq, 26, (driver); Kamran Anjum, 25, (computer operator); Jan Muneer, 30, (office assistant); Aslam Martin, 45, (communication coordinator); Mushtaq Roshan, 51, (accountant); and Edwin Foster, 20. Robin Sharif, the assistant communication coordinator, was seriously wounded.

Robin Piran Ditta, the peon and watchman of the office remained unhurt and suffered a heart problem after he was beaten up by the killers. He told the police that he went to buy milk and did not lock the door. When he came back, he was held up by two armed men, who beat him up, went out of the office and closed the door.

He said he was shocked to see his colleagues dead and wounded. He opened the door when another office worker, Rahim Bux Azad, knocked at about 10:15am. He unlocked the electrical door, which could only be opened from inside. Rahim Bux immediately informed the police at 15.

Sindh police chief, Syed Kamal Shah, told newsmen at the NGO’s office that it appeared to be an act of terrorism. “However, the motive of the incident will be thoroughly investigated after which the police will be able to arrive at any conclusion,” he added. He also did not rule out the act of a foreign hand.

According to him, two men armed with TT pistols made the entire office staff hostage at gunpoint, tied them to chairs in a library room, blind-folded them and shot a single bullet to everybody’s head. Five of them died on the spot. The sixth was found near the bathroom door. Eight empty bullets were found from there.

“We are trying to collect all maximum available evidence from the spot, which would help investigate the killings,” the police chief said, adding that the killers left Robin unhurt, who was a useful witness.

The police chief said the Idara Amn-o-Insaf was patronized by the Church of Pakistan. He said a monthly magazine Jafakash was also being brought out from this office, which highlighted the issues relating to human rights and labour rights besides social issues.

On May 22, Edwin Noon, 45, the chairman of Idara Amn-o-Insaf (Organization for peace and justice), was found dead in his office near Tibet Centre. Police found the body trussed-up and the victim’s mouth was sealed with adhesive tape. The police said the victim had been injected some poisonous substance.

His wife, Sara Edwin Noon, was later made chairperson of the organization. She said: “We didn’t receive threats in the past. We don’t know who is behind the incident and what was their motive,” she added.

The Bishop of Sindh and Balochistan, Sadiq Daniel, said: “It was a shameful and dangerous act to target the Christians. The security is needed to be increased for the security of the Christian community.”

Daniel did not support the suggestion that it could be an outcome of a communal dispute within the Christian community.