Seven die in Karachi Imambargah shooting in Karachi
04-10-2001

Seven die in Karachi Imambargah shooting
KARACHI, Oct 4: At least six worshippers were shot dead and seven wounded, two of them seriously, at an Imambargah in Mehmoodabad on Thursday evening by unidentified assailants. According to witnesses, two men on a motorbike opened fire indiscriminately at the people offering Maghribain prayers at Ali Murtaza Masjid-o-Imambargah in street No 3, Azam Town, Mehmoodabad.

Those killed in the firing included two children below 13 years of age. The injured, who were rushed to the JPMC for treatment, also included four children. The deceased were identified as Jabbar Haider, 13; Gulzar Husain, 28; Maulana Ghulam Rasool (Pesh Imam), 38; Wasim Saeed, 7; Faizan Nasir, 18; and Raza Zaidi, 55.

The injured were Talib Hussain, his two sons Iftikhar Husain, 20, and Ghaffar Husain, 11; Haji Azhar Hussain, his son Naeem Abbas, 10; Sibtain Raza, 5; Naseem Abbas, 7; and Mohsin Ali. A man, crying over the death of his relative, shouted at the police deputed at the emergency gate of the hospital, saying: "Why are you standing here blocking the way of patients? Why were you not at the scene when terrorists were firing at innocent people?"

At the emergency ward of the hospital, loud cries and wails of the deceased's near and dear ones rent the air. An injured Haji Azhar Hussain said: "We were offering prayers and all of a sudden, intense firing began and then I don't know what followed."

Zahoor Hussain, owner of a general store, located some 100 yards from the Imambargah told Dawn that the area plunged into darkness at around 7:45pm and the incident took place at around 7:55pm. "Suddenly I heard a deafening sound and I assumed there might have been an explosion in PMT or an electricity wire snapped. But when people started making a hue and cry, I came to know it was a firing incident."

The power supply was restored just after the incident, he added. He said he closed his shop and reached the spot where people, whose clothes were soaked with blood, were being taken away in ambulances. The area people said two policemen were deputed at the Imambargah but at the time of the incident, none was present. The police said three people on two motorbikes fired a volley of bullets at the worshippers and fled.A police official said it was a suspected sectarian attack and the police were conducting investigations.

KARACHI: Violence erupts in city
KARACHI, Oct 5: Violence erupted in the city on Friday in the aftermath of Thursday's attack at an Imambargah in Mehmoodabad in which six people were shot dead by unidentified assailants.

Enraged youths attacked a mosque, set a vehicle on fire and damaged several petrol pumps, showrooms and vehicles in different parts of the city on Friday. A passenger bus (JA-8886) was set ablaze at Numaish Chowrangi. The bus was gutted before the arrival of fire tenders.

Police and rangers resorted to heavy aerial firing and shelling on protesters when they tried to attack Madina Masjid near Kalapul. The protesters were returning after attending the funeral prayers of those killed in Thursday's incident, at Defence Imambargah. Police arrested more than 300 protesters.

The protesters also pelted a showroom with stones before hurling stones on the mosque, where a security guard opened fire at the protesters. Police claimed to have arrested the security guard immediately after he fired at the protesters. Rangers and police also baton charged the protesters injuring scores of people.

Earlier, enroute to Defence Imambargah to attend the funeral prayers different processions, mainly comprising enraged youths, coming from various parts of the city, damaged several petrol pumps, shops, showrooms and stationary vehicles on their way.

Protesters damaged an automobile showroom also on main Korangi road. Police resorted to shelling on Shahrah-i-Quaideen and in Defence to control enraged protesters. The bodies of those killed at the Imambargah in Mehmoodabad were brought to Defence Imambargah in processions.

Bodies of Gulzar Husain, 28, and Arshad Gulzar, 18, were taken to Chakwal for burial. The body of Ghulam Rasool, 38, was taken to Baltistan. The body of Wasim Saeed, 7, was taken to Bahawalpur. Faizan Nasir, 18, and Raza Zaidi, 55, were laid to rest in Karachi.

The chief of the Jafferia Alliance, Maulana Abbas Kumaili, claimed that three of their injured youths were dragged into the locality where Madina Masjid was situated. Earlier, it was decided that the funeral of the six persons would take place at Mehfil-i-Shah Khurasan, but after talks between the Alliance and the city administration late in the night, the venue was changed.

Police interrogated two officials of the KESC operation control room in Mehmoodabad in connection with Thursday's attack at the Imambargah. Police released the two officials after questioning them, a duty officer at Mehmoodabad police station said.

Crackdown on extremists demanded

KARACHI: Hussaini Force Pakistan (HFP) Sindh leaders at a press conference demanded of the government to take immediate action against the terrorists and killers of innocent Muslims and law-abiding citizens of the country. The leaders including Central HFP President Abbas Ali Yazdani, Maulana Ali Mathari, Ali Chandio, Muhammad Raza Zaidi, Asad Mathari and Muhammad Hussain, addressing a press conference alleged that certain madaris of the city were involved in illegal activities and an operation for recovery of illegal arms was imperative against such so-called institutions of extremist elements.

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