• Law enforcers say nine hurt in firing between two ‘religious groups’
• Security beefed up across the city for chehlum processions today
• CM, governor take notice of violence

KARACHI: Two people were shot dead, nine others injured and several vehicles were set on fire in violence that erupted in the Gulbahar area on Sunday, police said.

Describing the violent incident as a result of a “clash between two religious groups’ on Nawab Siddique Ali Khan Road near the Golimar sanitary market, the police as well as paramilitary Rangers claimed that the situation was brought under control.

As the incident took place on the eve of chehlum of Imam Husain, police and Rangers beefed up security across the city.

Officials said that in view of the situation, Rangers and police started flag marches in the city to maintain law and order during chehlum.

About the incident, DIG-West Irfan Ali Baloch told Dawn that a religious party had announced a rally at 4pm on Sunday. Violence erupted when participants of the rally reached near the imambargah located on the main road in the Golimar sanitary market, he added.

After the firing incident, unknown persons took to the street and torched six vehicles — a minibus, a truck and a Suzuki Hi-roof, two motorcycles and a rickshaw.

Heavy contingents of police and Rangers rushed to the spot and claimed to have controlled the situation.

A spokesperson for the paramilitary force described the incident as a “clash between two religious groups” and promised strict action would be taken against persons involved in provocation or religious hatred.

The DIG or the Rangers did not disclose the names of the two religious groups.

The Rangers spokesperson said that movement of traffic had been restored to normality in the area while majalis pertaining to chehlum of Imam Husain were also being held as per their scheduled timing.

City police chief Javed Odho confirmed the death of two people and injuries to several others. He said senior police officials immediately reached the spot and prevented the situation from further escalation.

A police official, who wished not to be named, told Dawn that a rally, said to be linked to the outlawed Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), was passing through the Golimar sanitary market when it was pelted with stones near an imambargah. Later, both the groups traded gunfire in which many people suffered bullet injuries and two of them died, he added.

Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed told Dawn that the dead were identified as Junaid Mehdi, 25, and Umair Sultan, alias Sherry, 18. Their bodies were brought at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and the Civil Hospital Karachi, respectively.

She said that nine injured were also brought to hospitals and the condition of one of them was stated to be critical.

Some of the injured were identified as Muhammad Ibrahim, 26; Kausar Abbas, 35; Hamza Shafiq, 17; Muhammad Hanzala, 30; Muhibullah, 28; Hazrat Umer, 30; and Abdul Basit.

Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the firing in Golimar and ordered immediate arrest of the culprits involved in “firing on the rally”.

The CM said: “No one will be allowed to spoil the peace in the metropolis.” He asked senior officials to personally “settle the issues”.

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar said that legal action would be taken against the activists of the groups involved in the incident, including their patrons.

Police sources said that the religious party’s programme — Tahaffuz-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwat and Azmat-i-Sahaba —ended on Shahrah-i-Quaideen near Allah Wali Chowrangi late in the evening.

However, around 2,500 workers of the ASWJ, led by Allama Aurangzeb Farooqi and Maulana Taj Hanafi, staged a sit-in there and demanded action against those responsible for the Gulbahar violence.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2024