KARACHI: More than half a dozen people, mainly associated with political parties, were gunned down within two hours in a spurt of violence on Tuesday, police said.

The incidents, which sparked violence and arson attacks in the east zone of the police organisational structure, caused bafflement among the investigators as they looked for causes behind the wave of attacks.

DIG (East) Amir Sheikh confirmed to Dawn that six people were shot dead in Al-Falah and Gulistan-i-Jauhar.

In the first incident, young Ashraf alias Qasai was targeted outside his home in Al-Badar Society, within the remit of the Al-Falah police station.The victim was said to be associated with the Punjabi-Pakhtun Ittehad (PPI). The killing sparked violence in the area.

“After his killing, scattered incidents of firing were reported in Green Town, Al-Badr Society and Millat Town,” said an official at the Al-Falah police station. “Meanwhile, a Hi-roof was intercepted and set on fire in Millat Town, but it was saved from complete destruction by a police patrol.”

Within an hour of Ashraf’s killing, two men on motorcycles shot 30-year-old Ghulam Akbar and Abdul Qadir in Millat Town in separate incidents. The police failed to access the affected areas in the face of intense firing and residents stayed indoors with businesses completely closed in the vicinity.

The area police found a dispute between two political groups that emerged a few weeks ago as the reason behind the latest spate of violence. The PPI claimed that the three killed men were associated with it.

Hardly an hour later, armed men on motorcycles intercepted a car carrying four men and fired indiscriminately at it. Two men, identified as Furqan and Fazl-i-Qadir, were killed on the spot while their companion Saqib was rushed to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where he died during treatment.

“The situation is not clear but witnesses said that there were four men on two motorbikes who intercepted the car near Rabia City in Gulistan-i-Jauhar ,” said an official at the Sharea Faisal police station. “At least two men fired at the car and left it bullet-riddled. The victims were said to be associated with the Awami National Party, but we have not received any response from the party.”

The victims were shifted to the JPMC for medico-legal formalities. The doctors found multiple bullet wounds on the bodies fired from a close range. The area remained tense after the incident and heavy contingents of the police were deployed in the affected parts.

In Orangi Town, a jeweller was gunned down when he was coming out of an area bakery.

The area police said 50-year-old Ashraf was stepping out of the Zamzama bakery in Orangi Town 5 when two men on a motorbike targeted him and escaped.

“He was hit by two bullets and died on the spot,” said an official at the Orangi Town police station. “He was a resident of Block M of North Naizmabad. According to the family, he was not associated with any political or other group.”

Courtesy by dawn.com