At least 10 persons including a religious scholar were killed and several others wounded while five vehicles were torched in various acts of violence and arson in different areas of the city here on Monday. According to police and rescue sources, unidentified armed men sprayed a volley of bullets on a car (N-9002) near Chappel Garden on Abul Hassan Isphani Road in the limits of Saachal police station.
Resultantly, Maulana Mufti Ismail, 42, son of Abdul Ghani Qasim, who was a senior teacher at Madarsa-e-Ahsan-ul-Uloom, received multiple gunshots and died on the spot. Police said the students of a nearby Madarsa took his body to the Madarsa which was later shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).
The neighbourhoods of Sohrab Goth, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and F.B. area wore deserted look as fear gripped the areas after his murder. Following the incident, miscreants took to the streets and burnt tyres and pelted moving vehicles with stones. They also torched five vehicles in Gulshan-e-Iqbal and forced the shopkeepers to pull down their shutters by restoring to heavy firing in air which resulted in injuries to two persons namely Moin and Arshad. The charged mob also destroyed an alcohol shop located in Block 2, Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
The deceased Mufti, who was a father of four and hailed from Pishni, Quetta, had been serving as a teacher in Madarsa-e-Ahsan-ul-Uloom for the last 15 years. He studied in the same Madarsa and after completing a two-year course from Madina University, he started teaching in Madarsa-e-Ahsan-ul-Uloom. Mufti Zar Wali of Ahsan-ul-Uloom led the funeral prayers of Maulana Ismail which were attended by scores of religious scholars, students and others. He will be buried in his hometown.
SHO Saachal Azhar Ali Iqbal said the victim was targeted when he was returning to his Madarsa after dropping his children at their Madarsa in Mobina Town area. He said the culprits used 9MM pistol for the murder and added that a case was registered against unknown shooters. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and others condemned the killing and demanded of the government to arrest the killers.
Meanwhile, two bullet-riddled bodies were found near Al-Asif police check post in the limits of Saachal police station. Police said the bodies were shifted to JPMC where they were identified as Tayyab, 25, and Bashir, 26. Police said the deceased, who were the residents of Rajput Colony, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, were members of Muttahida Organising Committee (MOC) and that might have been the reason for their murder. No case was registered till filing of this report.
In-charge R Chowk police check post was gunned down near his residence located in Bilal colony area. Police said the deceased, who was posted as In-charge R chowk police check post in Korangi Industrial Area, was targeted by two unknown armed men when he left his house for work. The victim was identified as Hidayat Abbasi son of Nabi Bux, resident of Bilal colony no 3. No case was registered till filing of this report.
A man, Mehmood Alam Siddiqui, 32, son of Muhammad Muslim Siddiqui and his nephew Muhammad Jaseem, 30, son of Muhammad Waseem were shot dead when they were travelling in a car (GS-9940) in the limits of Iqbal Market police station. Police said the incident took place near Sabiri Chowk in sector 11-B Orangi Town area where both persons, who were said to be the workers of MQM, lost their lives in an armed ambush. No case was registered till filing of this report.
A drug-peddler was gunned down near Al Asif Square in the limits of Sohrab Goth police station. Police said the victim, who was identified as Ayub, son of Niaz Gul, was a drug-peddler and might have been killed by his rivals. Police said he was the resident of Gadap town. No case was registered till filing of this report. A body was recovered from Green Park in Qauidabad in the limits of Shah Latif police station. Police said the victim, who was identified as Ishaq son of Ismail, was employed in Garment factory and might have been killed over personal ground.
In another incident, a two-day old body of one, Mazhar Iqbal Qureshi, 55, was found from a house in front of Karachi Dental College, which was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Another body of an unknown man was recovered from Hingorabad near Crown Cinema, which was shifted to Civil Hospital.