Malir City on Friday remained engulfed in tension as three more persons fell prey to unabated spree of target killings, raising the death toll to seven in the last three days. According to police and rescue sources, the first incident of target killing was reported in Ansabad Malir where 62-year-old Muhammad Hanif Sheikh son of Abdul Majeed Sheikh was killed in a drive-by shooting.
Police said the victim was targeted when he was standing outside a Pan Shop located at Qalandarya Chowrangi near Kala Board. They said the deceased, who was the resident of Ansabad, was also a member of MQM elder committee. The police said the son of Hanif was also killed in similar incident some two years ago.
After brief interval, another inhabitant of Al-Faleh police remits was come under armed attack when he was going to somewhere on his motorbike (KBU-6450) at Siddique Goth near Gul Muhammad Football ground. Police said the victim, who was identified as Shahnawaz Baloch son of Ghulam Baloch, was the resident of Ansoo Goth, Malir. They further said the deceased was driver by his profession. Another sympathiser of MQM was also gunned down at Jamia Milia, Malir.
Police said the victim, who was identified Rashid, 28, son of Yamin, was targeted when he was sitting in his chicken shop located in Jamia Milia. They said the deceased, who was the resident of same area where incident took place, was Urdu speaking and a sympathiser of MQM.
Following the incidents, tension prevailed in several parts of Malir where miscreants resorted to aerial firing and forced the shopkeepers to pull down their shutters. Although heavy contingent of police and Rangers have already been deployed in the area to bring situation in control, the spate of targeted killings remained unabated during last three days.
Meanwhile, the Sindh police have suspended Nawab Chanar, SHO Al-Faleh police station and nominated Khalid Latif for the said post. When contacted, newly appointed SHO Khalid Latif, said that at least six persons lost their lives during a short span of three days and added that out of six deceased, five persons appeared to be Baloch; hence the police had started investigating the matter into both ethnic and political grounds. It is pertained to mention, two Baloch namely Manaan and Faqir were killed on January 11 while two Baloch Rickshaw drivers Ghulam and Haroon lost their lives on January 12.