The law and order situation in Karachi worsened on Wednesday as a religious cleric, Maulana Masood Baig, affiliated with the Binoria University International (BUI), Site, among six others were gunned down in separate incidents of targeted killings while the police claimed to have killed four criminals.
According to police and rescue sources, Maulana Masood Baig was shot dead by unknown people near the Falcon House in KDA Chowrangi of North Nazimabad. He was son-in-law of the head of Jamia Binoria, Site, Mufti Naeem. He was the chief administrator in girls' education department of Jamia Binoria Aalimiyah, Site, and he was also discharging his duties as lecturer in the University of Karachi.
The police said the incident occurred when four armed men on two motorcycles stopped his vehicle near the Hyderi market in north Nazimabad and opened indiscriminate fire on him while he was heading towards the Falcon School to receive his children after offering Zohr prayers at his home around 2:00pm. The accused escaped from the scene after committing the crime. The Maulana succumbed to his injuries on the spot while his driver was injured. The body and injured were moved to a near-by private hospital.
It's pertinent to mention here that on last Saturday, Allama Ali Akbar Kumaili, 40, the elder son of former senator Allama Abbas Kumaili, was gunned down and his two guards were wounded in a targeted attack in Azizabad of Federal B Area. These consecutive attacks have exposed the tall claim of police and Rangers regarding curbing the menace of target killings in Karachi.
Meanwhile, police said two kidnappers affiliated with a Lyari gang war group were killed by personnel of law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) in an alleged encounter in Umar Lane area of Lyari. Police said some unidentified armed men had kidnapped a man named Zohaib and demanded ransom of Rs 5 million for his release. Their three accomplices managed to escape during the encounter.
In a separate incident police said two alleged dacoits were gunned down in an encounter as they were looting people at Sohrab Goth, near Nadir Hospital, during late Tuesday night. The bodies were shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.
In another incident, Qasim Raza, son of Muhammad Amin, was shot dead by unknown people in F C Area of Liaquatabad. The body was shifted to ASH for legal formalities.
In the same way, Iqbal Ziauddin, son of Shamsuddin, was gunned down by unknown men in Pak Colony located in Old Golimar. The body of the victim was shifted to ASH for post-mortem examinations. In another case, Muhammad Asif, 26, was crashed to death when he came under the speedy train in Quaidabad. The body was shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) for autopsy.
A man aged between 25 to 30 years was gunned down by unidentified men in Korangi No-5. The identity of deceased was not ascertained till filing of the report; however, the body was shifted to JPMC for an autopsy. Similarly, Muhammad Akram was killed by unknown people in Chakiwara No-2. The body was shifted to the Civil Hospital (CH) for medico-legal formalities.