KARACHI: A cleric was gunned down in Karachi early Saturday morning taking the death toll to nine within 24 hours varying from ethnic, sectarian, to personal enmity, the police said.
Unknown gunmen ambushed Hajji Ghulam Hussain who was the organiser of Usman Ghani mosque in Korangi town. His body was shifted to the hospital for legal procedure.
The police said that the incident took place at 7am whereas spokesman of Jamat Ahle Sunnat wal Jaamat claimed that Hussain was attacked when he was going to offer his predawn prayers (Tahajud).
Hussain, 60, was the chief the local chapter of Tableeghi Jamaat and sympathiser of Ahle Sunnat wal-Jamaat, the spokesman said.
The slain cleric was also a member of Majlise Khatme Nabowat.
Earlier, two brothers were gunned down who belonged to Sunnat wal-Jamaat as well as Tableeghi Jamaat.
They were shot down near Guru Mandir on Friday night. The funeral prayers of the two brothers were offered on Saturday after the noon prayer.
There were six more gunshot deaths in the city and the police said that the reasons for being targeted were yet to be determined.
Some miscreants hurled a hand grenade onto a textile factory in the Baldia Town area but there were no casualties. Sources said that the factory owner was getting phone calls and the unknown callers were demanding extortion money from him.
In Jamshoro district, some 170 kilometres north of Karachi, unknown accused ambushed a police post killing two policemen. The attackers also took away the sub-machine guns of the constables.
A short-lived calm gave a bit respite to the residents of Karachi as the frequently killings came to almost nil in the city after prolonged spells of shootings.
However, terrorists came out of their dens again last Thursday and targeted a member of parliament of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) along with his three security guards and a driver.
Businesses and educations remained closed in many cities of Sindh province to mourn the death of Manzar Imam, the slain MQM legislator amid the party chief appeal to remain peaceful and calm.
Tehreeke Taliban of Pakistan (TTP) claimed the responsibility of Imam’s assassination saying it was the second attack on MQM, the first being a bomb that was planted in a motorcycle and detonated when the party followers were dispersing from a rally.
