Karachi: At least six people, including two criminals, were killed in police encounters in the city amid a rising wave of crime with the advent of Ramadan, prompting authorities to set up a special task force.
Three bodies were also recovered from different parts of the city, police sources said.
Sources said that Mohammad Ali alias Kuppi was killed in a shoot out on Wednesday morning in Sector 11 of New Karachi. He was an alleged extortionist and was wanted in relation to a number of criminal cases. In the Paposh Nagar area, police gunned down Ali Haider alias Ali Irani, who was declared a robber by the police.
In Lyari Town and Gharib Shah Road, two men died in a firing incident. One man, who was an activist for a sectarian outfit, was also killed in the Kala Pul area.
The body of a man who looked to be in his 20s was found in the Chakiwara area. He was reportedly killed after being kidnapping. The body of another man, 30, was found in the Pirabad area. An unidentified 35-year-old man was found dead in the Defence area. He was strangulated and appeared to be a drug addict, the police said.
Meanwhile, in an effort to curb the growing trend of extortions, authorities have formed a task force, comprising security forces and business leaders, that will come down heavily on new extortionists who have become active with the start of Ramadan.
Sources said that the name of a former Citizen Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) official was being considered to head the task force, whereas the chief of paramilitary rangers would oversee the task force.
The task force would be manned by selective security officials who would be equipped with modern weaponry and other gadgetry that will help track mobile phone calls and other leads to the extortionists.
With the advent of Ramadan, businessmen and traders complained to the police that they were getting threats from extortionists despite a nine-month-old operation that has led to the arrest of 27,000 criminals and suspects.
