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MQM condemns targeted killings
50 arrested in connection with MQM-ST clashes
3 vehicles set ablaze
Decomposed body of woman found
13 militants killed in Bajaur air strikes
MQM condemns targeted killings
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has appealed to president, prime minister, Sindh Governor, Sindh chief minister, and Sindh Home Minister to take immediate notice of the targeted killing of MQM workers by a sectarian organisation. It demanded that the killers be arrested and awarded severe punishment. The Rabita Committee members, while addressing a press conference at Nine-Zero, Azizabad, on Saturday strongly condemned the act and killing by the sectarian organisation. Due to serious conditions in the country the MQM has not reciprocated and one should know that the MQM is a peace loving party and avoids all kinds of violence in any manner, they said.
50 arrested in connection with MQM-ST clashes
A total of 50 people were arrested by the Karachi police in various parts of the city in connection with firing incidents that took place between the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Sunni Tehreek (ST) on Friday night.
Capital City Police Officer (CCPO), Waseem Ahmed, told The News that 50 people were ‘arrested, in the jurisdiction of the affected police stations’. According to information received also by DSP (Operation) Rafiq Gul, 32 people were picked up from the West Zone, and 12 from the East Zone, while six from the South Zone. Sources said that those detained were activists from both the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Sunni Tehreek (ST), however this has not yet been officially claimed.
The six arrested were confirmed from the Risala Police Station. The Risala police told The News, that six men were arrested for firing and having an encounter with the police at Paan Mandee, near Burger House, on Friday night at around 9 pm. A TT pistol was recovered from them.
The names of the arrested are Siddique Qadri, 45, son of Mohammad Hanif, from whom a TT was recovered; Kashif, 22, son of Mohammad Abbas; Sheheryar, 18, son of Tariq; Ayaz 18, son of Asghar Ali; Imran 20 son of Mohammad Ismail; and Ali 24, son of Asad Abdur Rehman.
FIRs have been lodged against the arrested persons.
Friday night’s clashes all over the city started after reports said that a major clash occurred between ST activists with MQM workers.
MQM maintains that the issue had started because of Sunni Tehreek ‘without any plausible reason’.
Haider Abbas Rizvi, MNA, of the MQM, told The News, that they were trying to keep the city as peaceful as possible, but elements against the party were always spreading terrorism in the city.
“We have gone down to the last limits to maintain peace,” he said, in an agitated voice. “We have supported the new government unconditionally. But last night’s incident was preposterous. The Sunni Tehreek attacked our people without any reason, and they spread the terrorism all over the city like wildfire, forcefully closing down shops and shooting our activists.”
Rizvi says that the MQM had a loss of two workers in total, while over six were injured by gunfire.
“I would like to know why they attacked us,” he demanded.
Sunni Tehreek, however, told The News that the situation was the exact opposite to what the MQM claimed it to be.
Tariq Mughal from the central committee, ST, said that the MQM was holding a Namaaz-e-Janaza for one of its activists, Danish, who was lynched by a mob a day before.
“Actually the MQM wants ST to always remain blacklisted,” said Mughal. “We had a meeting with Zulfiqar Mirza a day before this incident took place, and the MQM did not seem to like the idea of us shaking hands with the government. We listed our no-go areas to the Home Minister, Zulfiqar Mirza, and said that we cannot go there, because of the MQM.”
Mughal says that the MQM opened fire after the funeral, during which one of their activists, Irfan, was killed and many others injured.
3 vehicles set ablaze
Enraged people protesting against deteriorating power supply situation set on fire three vehicles including two passenger coaches in Oragni sector on late Saturday evening. The passenger coaches and a dumper truck were set on fire by violent protestors in Orangi Town Sector 11, near Chamcha Hotel, police said. It is worth mentioning here that residential and commercial areas of the city are being subjected to maximum eight hours of power load-shedding during day and night hours by the Karachi Electric Supply Company.
Decomposed body of woman found<
The decomposed body of a young woman was found in the basement of an apartment in the Boat Basin police limits on Saturday.
The decomposed body of Sabra, 48, wife of Sharif, was found in the basement of Green Belt City Apartment situated in Clifton in the Boat Basin police jurisdiction.
A watchman of the apartment saw her body and informed the police who shifted it to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for legal formalities.
The lady medico-legal officer (MLO) JPMC said that the body was at least four days old. She preserved her viscera for chemical examination.
The police said the deceased was the servant of Abid Magsi and lived in the Shireen Jinnah Colony. Police also said that her relatives did not lodge any FIR of her missing.
Meanwhile, Hassan, 45, was knocked down to death, when a speeding hit and run vehicle ran over him in the Quaidabad police area, while he was crossing the road.
MSA seizes Indian fishing boat: The Maritime Security Agency (MSA) on Saturday seized one Indian fishing boat and arrested five crew members.
The MSA ship was on routine patrol in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) when the ship crew members saw the fishing boat, which was illegally fishing 30 nautical miles inside Pakistan.
The MSA first warned and then seized one Indian fishing boat along with five crew members. Later, they were handed over to the Docks police and a case was registered against them.
13 militants killed in Bajaur air strikes
PESHAWAR: Around 13 suspected militants were reportedly killed and dozens of houses destroyed in the ongoing bombing by jetfighters and military gunship helicopters in the Bajaur Agency on Saturday.
The military authorities said jetfighters and gunship helicopters pounded suspected positions of the tribal militants in Mamond and Charmang Tehsils, which are considered as the strongholds of the militants.
In Loisam and the adjoining villages, sources said, seven militants were killed when jetfighters and gunship choppers turn by turn pounded their suspected positions.
Tribal sources said several houses of tribesmen, including Noor Rahman, Yar Khan, Zafar, Gul Rahman, Abdul Akbar Khan, Noor Zaman, Sher Mohammad, Noor Rahim, Sher Zamin, Tahir, Ghulam Sadiq and Ziaur Rahman were levelled to the ground when warplanes heavily bombarded Janat Shah Koruna near Rashakai in Khar Tehsil at around 8:00 am.
Interestingly, official and tribal sources said the village was famous for its anti-militant stance and was the only village where militants had never been welcomed.
No casualty was reported as the tribesmen had already vacated the village and shifted their families to Dir, Charsadda, Mardan and Peshawar due to the clashes between the security forces and militants for the past two and a half month in Bajaur. Also, the sources said the main Jamia Masjid of Janat Shah Koruna had been desecrated.
Similarly, military officials said the fighter planes and helicopters pounded positions of the militants in their stronghold of Mamond Tehsil, killing six militants and causing injuries to several others.
They said the planes targeted Badano, Seway, Omari and various other villages where militants had set up sanctuaries and were still in control of the area.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Maulvi Omar, said they would not lay down arms before successful talks with the government.
He said he was wrongly quoted by certain media organisations recently about the proposal for restoration of peace to the region.
Omar, who is hiding for quite some time, said they would not refuse mediation if anyone came forward to negotiate a permanent settlement between them and the government.
The spokesman said the Taliban were serious in their offer for restoration of peace as violence was not a solution to the issues. He said they were sincere in talks with the government, but would never lay down arms before any peace agreement.
Omar said the TTP would like to negotiate with the federal government as Fata was administered by the Centre and the same exercise of talks could later be followed in the Swat district.
Maulvi Omar said the government had not yet reciprocated to their peace proposal. He alleged that the government had imposed war on them as they were never indulged in fighting against the security forces.
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