KARACHI: Nearly a dozen people, including two activists of the Awami National Party, were killed in the city on Wednesday as sporadic gun attacks on roadside restaurants and shops continued on a third consecutive day, police said.

Circulation of text messages on cellphones warning people to stay indoors amid fear of more ‘violence and bloodshed’ fanned further speculations and a sense of insecurity, as the authorities seemed unable to control the fresh round of violence during which a couple of bodies bearing torture marks were found dumped on roadsides.

North Nazimabad emerged as the worst-affected part of the city, where four people were killed within a few hours.

ANP workers

In the early hours of the day, two youngsters were found dead in Block M near the Karachi Medical and Dental College. “Both in their mid-20s,” said an official at the Taimuria police station.

“Some area people spotted the bodies lying along the service road and informed the police. The victims, clad in shalwar kameez, were strangled after severe torture.”

The bodies were moved to the Edhi morgue after medico-legal formalities at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for want of identification.

The victims were later identified as activists of the Awami National Party.

Mian Gul, 25, and Sardar Wali, 26, were residents of Bihar Colony and associated with the party’s ward in Lyari UC-7.

Restaurant owner, visitor

In the afternoon, two more people were killed in the same block, the police said.

“Gunmen riding two motorbikes targeted a roadside teashop in Block M,” said the official at the Taimuria police station.

He added: “The firing left 24-year-old Sanobar Khan, the owner of New Quetta Bolan Hotel, and Latif, a resident, dead.”

The police suspected that Latif, son of Ghulam Sarwar, was not the actual target. However, the police said, investigation was under way.

With the latest attack on the hotel, the number of people killed in the North Nazimabad area over the past 24 hours increased to seven as on Tuesday night three people, including a man and his son, were shot dead in a similar attack on a roadside hotel in Block Q.

Speaking to Dawn, SP of North Nazimabad Tanveer Alam Odho said: “None of the victims was associated with any political or religious group. Mostly 9mm pistols have been used in the recent firing incidents. But we are gathering more facts and it will be a little too early to arrive at a conclusion.”

Gunny bag

Earlier, a gunny bag containing the body of a youngster was found near a meat market in Block 3 of the Federal B Area on Wednesday morning.

“The young man was strangled to death as some torture marks were visible on his neck,” said Azizabad SHO inspector Qureshi.

He said the victim was later identified as Amanullah Baloch, a resident of Chakiwara.

The police quoted his family as saying that the victim had been missing since Tuesday night. He had been working at a catering outlet in the F. B Area for the past several years.

According to the family, the victim was not associated with any political or religious party.

The victim’s elder brother, Ahsanullah Baloch, later lodged an FIR (101/2012) with the Azizabad police under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the PPC against unidentified suspects.

Owner of shop

In the evening, a hardware shop in Liaquatabad came under a gun attack that left its young owner dead.

Mohammad Rehan, 26, along with his father, Mukhtar Ahmad, had been running the business for past many years, police said.

Two gunmen riding a motorbike opened fire on the shop situated near the 420 Hotel bus stop and sped away, said an official “We have talked to area traders who do not see the incident linked with any extortion threat,” said DSP Wajahat Hussain, the area sub-divisional police officer.

Teashop boy

After the sunset, a teenager was killed and three others were wounded in a gun attack on a roadside teashop in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, police said.

“The teashop, New Quetta Abbasi Hotel, was targeted in Block 16 of Gulistan-i-Jauhar,” said DSP Pervez Iqbal Bhatti.

The police said that armed men riding a motorbike opened fire on the teashop, leaving 15-year-old Rafiullah working there dead and three others wounded.

The three people who sustained bullet wounds were identified as Asif, Hafeez and Niaz. “All the victims have been shifted to hospital,” said the DSP.

Youngster

A young man was shot dead near a community centre in the Bakra Piri area of Lyari, said police.

Armed men riding a motorbike shot at Imam Bakhsh and sped away, said an official at the Kalakot police station.“The victim, aged between 20 and 25 years, sustained a single bullet wound that proved fatal,” said DSP Nasir Lodhi.

Industrial worker

A young man was shot dead in Surjani Town on Wednesday.

Area police said armed riders spotted Nadim while he was returning home near 4-K Chowrangi.

“The victim was an industrial worker,” said an official at the Surjani Town police station, adding that he had arrived in Karachi from Sukkur a few years ago.

Young man

A 32-year-old man was shot dead in the Site area in the late hours of Wednesday, police said.

They added that Shahbaz Bashar was attacked by armed men riding a motorbike near Malakand graveyard in Metroville.

“The victim, who originally hailed from Swat, had been living here for the past few years,” said an official at the Site-A police station.