Upadated on: 29 Apr 09 07:28 AM
By Kamil Arif and Zahid Hussain Kalhoro
KARACHI: Two more men were killed and a police constable and five others were injured during a fight in Khwaja Ajmer Nagri Wednesday afternoon in what is being described as tit-for-tat ethnicist violence in the city.
The incident took place in Zarina Colony at about 3:30pm Wednesday. Heavy fire erupted from a hill in the neighboring Shahnawaz Bhutto Colony and armed men retaliated from below. The police and Rangers reached the spot but could not enter the neighborhood for at least an hour. "A sniper injured two policemen - Moin-ur Rehmani and Sajjad," said Ajmer Nagri DSP Altaf Hussain while speaking to SAMAA. "Two pedestrians were injured as well."
One of the victims was initially identified as a party worker. Another victim, a passerby, was identified as Syed Mohammad Ali.
As the violence grew worse, shops started shutting down and business came to a halt. The worst affected areas, according to the police were sectors 2, 3, 4,5C, 5C3, 5B and 5A.
On Tuesday alone 13 people, including a small girl, were killed, disturbing several neighborhoods. Till Tuesday morning, the toll was nine people in the last 10 days, sparking small riots and protests. But when an additional 12 people died of target killings, rocket fire, the Lyari gang war and fights by nighttime the total has risen to 21.
LAL COLONY
A fight broke out at a roadside diner and escalated into an exchange of fire. “One boy was a Sindhi, and one was a Pathan,” said the local police officer. “They fought over a transistor radio and it got out of control.” It was open season then and other men joined in on the fight with an exchange of fire that even targeted the police and rangers. Five people were injured and seven diners, five tea sheds, two cars and a few motorcycles were torched.
LYARI GANG WAR
Elsewhere in the city, the Lyari gang war flared up after a long time. There was a fight between the Katchi Biradari [Katchi tribe] and the gangsters. “They keep saying we don’t have orders,” fumed one man who had come to a nearby hospital during the chaos. “All they have been told to do is arrest anyone protesting.”
Someone fired a rocket that landed on a house in the neighbouring Machchar Colony, killing a small girl. Nine people were shot dead in this fight.
“There’s been firing since 11pm!” said one elderly resident. “Imagine! And it’s 2am now. There’s no one to ask what is happening to us.”
Elsewhere in the city, two men, one of the PML-N and one affiliated with the PML-F were shot dead in separate killings in Lines Area and Gulshan-e Iqbal.
Residents of Landhi and Korangi complained that even the extra police posted there for security stood by and did nothing when two men were shot dead in separate incidents. The Landhi killing is not being described as ethnically motivated.
TUESDAY MORNING
The murder of a rickshaw driver early Tuesday, a continuation in consecutive daily killings since April 19, incited rioting in Nazimabad and its surrounding areas.
Driver Mohammad Fareed Abbasi was shot dead in Gulbahar, following which residents of Khamosh Colony blocked the road to Liaquatabad. Others gathered outside the Supermarket police station. The police were initially unable to disperse the crowd and the paramilitary rangers had to be called for backup. Traffic was suspended for about two hours.
MONDAY
Parts of the city were tense on Monday as well after a UC councilor was shot dead and an army jawan injured in the aftermath of five killings last week.
MQM councilor for UC 9, Zafarul Haq, was shot dead and army jawan Abdul Rasheed was injured Monday in Jacob Lines. The incident took place in the limits of Brigade police station. The police said that they could not immediately tell whether the assailants had wanted to target the MQM man or the army man.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has reassured the Muttahida Qaumi Movement that it was tackling the threat of Talibanization. MQM chief Altaf Hussain, who has been living in self-imposed exile in London, spoke to the PM over the phone about his fears for Punjab and Sindh. He also brought up the arrests in Sukkur.
After the fifth murder in a week, including three of ANP activists, the MQM and ANP parties had agreed to meet regularly to ensure that there was peace in Karachi. The police formed teams to investigate the violence that sparked skirmishes and flash riots in central Karachi Friday night, leaving the city streets deserted by the weekend.
Half an hour after an Awami National Party activist was shot dead in Arambagh, another man was shot dead at North Nazimabad's KDA Chowrangi. Around the same time, a Pathan tea shop owner was shot dead in Azizabad and three brothers were injured as their car was shot at passing Banaras Chowk.
Saddar, Kharadar, Lyari, Ranchore Line, Arambagh, Sultanabad and Banaras were deserted Saturday after the murders. Aerial firing was reported at intervals through the night and scared people and shopkeepers stayed at home. The police said, however, that there was no more violence and people were just panicked.
The activist of the ANP - that represents Pashto-speaking people - who was gunned down in Arambagh Friday was identified as Sohail. He succumbed to his wounds at Civil Hospital Karachi. Retaliatory firing erupted in the area soon after news of his death spread and the police were called in. Protests spread from Arambagh to Ranchore Line and culminated in a traffic jam at Sultanabad as shops shut down.
MQM REACTION
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement, that originated as a platform for Urdu-speaking peoples but now defines itself as a party that works across divides, held an emergency press conference Friday. Senator Farooque Sattar called for peace and patience and said he had spoken to ANP leaders on the phone. He said that they could not allow riots to break out and the “conspirators” to succeed in making them fight.
ANP REACTION
The Pakhtoon Action Committee Loya Jirga's Shahi Syed has advised the Pakhtoon to set up defence committees in their areas.
The committee met at his residence where he condemned the imposition of Section 144 in the city. "We want peace in the city," he said and called for a strike on May 12 instead of a protest rally as was initially decided. He said that his workers have been made victims of target killings, whereas, the government has done nothing to stop them, saying hidden hands are involved behind the deaths.
The government is weak that is why the Pakhtoon have been advised to set up defence action committees in their areas, said Shahi Syed.
POLICE REACTION WITH MAY 12 IN MIND
Meanwhile, chief of police Waseem Ahmed re-imposed Section 144 in Karachi. It was lifted for 14 days in the middle. According to this rule, no public rallies, processions, or protests can be held across the province. The chief of police had also banned pillion riding or ‘double sawari’ that prohibits two men from riding on one motorcycle. This rule primarily aims to reduce street crime but it is also one way of trying to tackle target killings. Ironically, however, the chief of police said that when they lifted the ban on double sawari the number of target killings went up.
These killings come at a time when May 12 is right around the corner. It is the anniversary of mayhem that broke out on Karachi’s streets as lawyers and political parties tried to make their way to the airport to receive the then deposed chief justice of Pakistan. The ANP was one such party that was engaged in the fight for the restoration of the judiciary dismissed by Pervez Musharraf. The MQM, however, did not back this stance. At least 34 people were killed and over 100 injured in the gun battles fought on the streets.
On Friday, the ANP announced that it would hold a strike and all houses in Karachi would fly a black flag for the anniversary of May 12. As Section 144 is in place, they cannot hold a protest or rally.
TIMELINE OF KILLINGS
March 29
ANP activists are attacked, one is killed and two were injured in Khalilabad (Sharah-e-Noor Jahan precinct). Two men, on a motorcycle, fled after opening indiscriminate fire.
APRIL 19
The tensions rose starting April 19, after the killing of an MQM activist in Gulberg. ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan called for peace afterwards. “Every community should understand that Karachi is everyone’s city,” the ANP president said, while addressing a press conference at Mardan House, residency of the Sindh ANP President Shahi Syed.
APRIL 20
A day later, on April 20, nine vehicles, including a water tanker, were burnt and the windows of dozens of cars were smashed in Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Pehlwan Goth, after an ANP activist was kidnapped and murdered.
APRIL 22
Two days later, on April 22, one ANP activist was killed and seven PSF men were hurt in a tea shop shooting. Four men in helmets came on two motorcycles fired at the PSF leaders and fled towards Nipa Chowrangi.
APRIL 23
The next day, on April 23, a virtual curfew was imposed in Surjani Town after four persons, including a boy, were wounded in crossfire between two groups, that broke out when pro-Taliban slogans were found painted on the walls of a church on Wednesday.
The Christians immediately blamed the ANP, Pashto-speaking people and the Taliban. Hundreds of Pakhtoon gathered at the scene and after shouting at each other, the two groups started firing.
The MQM alleged that the ‘Taliban’ attacked the Christians. The MQM will not tolerate even the slightest degree of Talibanisation in Sindh, let alone Karachi, the party said.
APRIL 24
An ANP activist was killed in Arambagh. Two other men were killed in North Nazimabad and Azizabad. They have not yet been identified with a political party but one of the victims was Pashto-speaking.
APRIL 27
An MQM UC councilor is shot dead and an army jawan injured. The police said they were investigating who was the actual target.
APRIL 28
A rickshaw driver is shot dead in Nazimabad. The police have yet to call it a target killing.
13 people are killed across the city in separate skirmishes, including a small girl in Machhar Colony whose house was attacked by a rocket from Lyari.
APRIL 29
2 men are killed in sniper firing in Khwaja Ajmer Nagri.
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