Sindh shuts down after MQM lawmaker killed
19 January, 2013
KARACHI: Shops, businesses and schools were shut across Karachi and eight people were killed in separate acts of violence on Friday, while cities in interior Sindh shut down to mourn the killing of an MQM MPA. Two real brothers were killed at Lasbella Bridge within the precincts of the Gulbahar Police Station. Police said that the deceased, identified as 47-year-old Muhammad Ishaq, and his younger brother, 38-year-old Ikhlaq, were on their way home on a motorcycle when two armed pillion riders fired on them near the Lasbella Bridge. Both of them died instantly, while their killers fled. The bopdies were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) for autopsies. Police added that the deceased were property agents and lived in Ramswami area. Two men were killed on the Jigar Muradabadi Road within the limits of the Jamshed Town police station. 37-year-old Ajmal and Kamal Shah were killed when unidentified armed men opened indiscriminate fire on passersby. Their bodies were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for postmortem. Police said that the deceased hailed from Kabeerwala. A man was killed, while other was injured, in an armed attack at SPARCO Road at Maripur within the vicinity of Mochko Police Station. According to police, the victim, Shahjahan 40, and the injured, Barkat, 32, were sitting near their house where armed riders came up and fired at them. Both then men were injured and were rushed to the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) where during treatment Shahjahan succumbed to his injuries. Police said the deceased was father of three and worked at a local factory. It said that the motive behind the killing is uncertain as the deceased and injured had no affiliation with any political or religious party. Meanwhile, dead bodies of a young man and woman were found from a house situated in Defence View Phase 2, within the jurisdiction of Baloch Colony Police Station. SHO Ch Saleem said that the victims were identified as 18-year-old Madiha and Waqas. Their bodies were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for medicolegal formalities. He added that the victims were cousins. They both had one bullet each in their temples and it appeared that Waqas first killed Madiha and later killed himself, as a pistol was found near their bodies. A dead body of a man was found from Urdu Bazaar within the limits of Arambagh Police Station. According to police, the identity of the victim could not be ascertained, while he appears to be 23 years old. He added that the body was apparently thrown from a moving vehicle. Meanwhile, the city on Friday witnessed another complete shutdown of all commercial and routine activities in response to the three-day mourning call given by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to mourn the assassination of its MPA, Manzar Imam, along with his driver and two security guards. The 43-year-old MPA, his driver and two security guards were killed in an ambush in Nishan-e-Hiader Chowk, Orangi Town. Business, commercial and social activities remained completely suspended in majority of the city areas, while education institutions and fuel stations remained closed for the entire day. Public transport also remained off the roads, causing trouble to commuters and office-goers. The inter-city bus service was also suspended. Attendance in all government and private offices was thin. The city roads wore a deserted look as the Karachi Transport Ittehad had announced on Thursday night to keep their vehicles off the roads. The Karachi University and the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology postponed their ongoing examinations due to the uncertain law and order situation. The mourning day was also observed in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur, Nawabshah and other cities of Sindh where business and social activities were suspended. It was the killing of second MQM MPA in two years in the city. Orangi Town police have registered an FIR under the Anti Terrorism Act against unidentified killers over the complaint of the elder brother of the slain MPA, Azhar Imam. End.
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