KARACHI: Two more policemen and one candidate each of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) for the forthcoming local government elections were gunned down in suspected targeted attacks in different parts of the city on Sunday, police and party officials said.

The PTI and PML-F men were gunned down in SITE and Taiser Town, respectively, bringing death toll of pre-poll killings of candidates so far to five. Earlier, three candidates of Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) were shot dead in the Aziz Bhatti area on Dec 29.

The policemen were gunned down when four motorcycle-riding assailants attacked a shop owned by a leader of the Awami National Party (ANP) in Baldia Town, bringing death toll of policemen to five within two days. The ANP leader escaped unhurt in the attack.

Earlier on Saturday, two policemen were shot dead in an attack on a police van in Orangi Town and one policeman was gunned down by suspected land-grabbers in Sachal Goth area.

The ANP’s Abdul Razzaq Buneri had been receiving threats from suspected militants for quite some time, according to police and party officials.

Policemen Abdul Rahim and Khan Mohammad, in their 50s, were standing guard outside the battery shop in Baldia No 7 owned by the ANP leader when the four assailants riding two motorcycles first lobbed a hand grenade into the shop and then opened indiscriminate fire before fleeing, said Madina Colony SHO Khalid Javed.

The policemen sustained multiple gunshot wounds and were taken to the Civil Hospital Karachi, where doctors pronounced them dead on arrival.

“Police had provided security to Mr Buneri because he had been receiving threats from suspected militants,” said Baldia SP, Mohammad Ihsan Malik.

A spokesman for the ANP’s Sindh chapter said that it was the second attack on Mr Buneri’s shop while his house had also come under attack twice in Swat Colony, Baldia, in recent past.

He said that those who had been threatening Mr Buneri claimed to be members of banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Swat chapter, and they had been tormenting him since he contested last general election as the party’s candidate for PS-91, Baldia. Because of the threats and attacks, Mr Buneri had migrated to Dubai but returned later.

The spokesman said the militants had imposed a ‘fine’ on him for his ‘crime’ to contest the polls and threatened him to pay up.

ANP Sindh president, Senator Shahi Syed, condemned the murder of police guards and asked who would provide protection to their workers and leaders. “Why are we being compelled to take up arms for our protection. If we take any action, then the provincial and federal governments should be held responsible for it,” he said.

“This was the fourth attack on Buneri. FIR of each attack had been duly lodged but it only resulted in another attack,” he said.

Last year, 166 policemen died in attacks in the metropolis, according to a police spokesman. The victims included two DSPs, four inspectors, 15 sub-inspectors, 19 assistance sub-inspectors, 33 head constables and 93 constables, while 200 other cops including an SP, a DSP, a inspector, 21 sub-inspectors, 26 assistant sub-inspectors, 35 head constables and 115 cops suffered injuries in different actions.

PTI, PML-F candidates for LG polls killed

The candidates of PTI and PML-F for forthcoming local government election were gunned down in suspected targeted attacks in SITE and Taiser Town on Sunday, according to police and party officials.

Police officials said that Mohammed Jaffer, 30, was driving his rickshaw when unidentified gunmen attacked him in Rasheedabad, SITE. He was taken to Civil Hospital Karachi but he died before getting medical help.

The victim, a rickshaw driver by profession, was an activist of the PTI, said police official.

A PTI spokesman said Jaffer was the party’s candidate for a general councilor seat in Haroonabad, SITE, in upcoming LG polls. He was an active worker who had also spent time in jail for the sake of the party.

The PML-F worker who was a candidate for LG polls was killed and a passerby suffered serious wounds when unidentified bike-riders attacked him in Surajni Town on Sunday night, said police officials.

They said the young PML-F worker Nazeer Sheikh was sitting at New Quetta Bismillah Hotel in Taiser Town when the assailants opened fire on him.

Sheikh and a passerby, Khairullah Pathan, sustained critical injuries and were taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where the former was pronounced as dead.

According to a party spokesman, the victim was PML-F’s candidate for forthcoming LG election in Taiser Town.

Suspect dies ‘during treatment’

A suspect arrested by Manghopir police on charges of being involved in a number of cases died during treatment at a hospital on Sunday, according to police officials.

Zahid alias Dada, 30, was arrested by police on Dec 29 on charges of murder, hijacking of a trailer and another criminal case, said Manghopir SHO, Ghulam Hussain Korai.

He was produced in an anti-terrorism court the following day on Dec 30 which remanded him in police custody till Jan 9. The suspect’s condition deteriorated in police lock-up on Jan 2 and he was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH), which referred him to the National Institute of Cardio-Vascular Diseases where he died during treatment on Sunday.

The doctors had stated heart failure as cause of his death in the death certificate, said the police official.

The body was shifted to ASH for autopsy. The deceased originally hailed from Lasbella and was living in Hub, Balochistan, when he was arrested.

Two men shot dead in Mochko

Two elderly men were gunned down in Mowach Goth in Mochko area on Sunday, according to police.

They said that Amir Bux, 65, and Shafi Mohammed, 65, were sitting at a shop when unidentified gunmen attacked them and fled. They were taken to Civil Hospital Karachi where they died during treatment.

“The double murder appeared to be outcome of some personal enmity,” said Mochko SHO Khan Nawaz.

He said the victims had visited the Mowach Goth to attend a marriage ceremony of a common relative when they were attacked. Amir Bux hailed from Vinder, Balochistan, while Shafi was a resident of Lyari, he said.

Prayer leader killed inside mosque

A prayer leader was gunned down inside a mosque in Ittehad Town on Sunday night, according to police.

Ittehad Town SHO Inayatullah Marvat said that Qari Liaquat, 50, was offering prayers in Masjid Khizra in Gulshan-i-Ghazi when a lone gunman entered and fired five shots at him before fleeing. He was taken to Civil Hospital Karachi where doctors declared him dead.

“The victim was a prayer leader of the mosque and belonged to Braveli school of thought,” said Baldia SP, Mohammed Ihsan Malik. He said the victim had defected from the MQM in the past and was no longer associated with any political or religious party.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Nizam-i-Mustafa Party said the slain prayer leader was an office-bearer of the party.

Industrialist shot dead

An industrialist was shot dead in Orangi Town on Sunday in a suspected targeted attack, according to police.

Orangi SHO Samiullah Sheikh said that Iqbal Sattar, 40, was taking his mother-in-law to Gulshan-i-Iqbal in his car when he unidentified armed bike-riders intercepted him near the Qasba roundabout.

“The assailants talked to him and then opened fired him,” said the police officer. Iqbal sustained two gunshot wounds and was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where he succumbed to injuries during treatment.

The victim owned a factory in SITE area, said the police officer.

“The murder appeared to be an act of targeted killing,” said Orangi SP, Chaudhry Asad Ali. He ruled out the murder might have occurred during an attempt to rob the victim.