KARACHI - The knife attacks by an unidentified suspect have continued unabated in Karachi as five more women were shifted to the hospital with severe injuries on Thursday.
The local police have failed to arrest the criminal despite tall claims after which Chief Minister of Sindh Murad Ali Shah has bashed Inspector General (IG). Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had also taken notice of ongoing knife attacks and demanded early detention of the suspect, adding that every mother and sister is Benazir Bhutto and their protection is our collective duty.
Earlier, security personnel had released alleged sketches of the suspect with the help of CCTV footages. In the video, a biker donning black shirt and helmet with a 5.9-inch height was seen fleeing the scene after attacking a girl.
Home Minister Sohail Anwar Sial said that it seems that the suspect is mentally ill. Fear and panic prevailed among the residents of the area as police authorities fail to arrest ostensibly a lone attacker who has been on a stabbing spree since last week in Gulistan-i-Jauhar and adjoining areas.
The latest attacks come after the Karachi East-Zone Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Sultan Ali Khowaja announced that police officials were deployed in at least 30 points in Gulistan-i-Jauhar along with decoy teams in order to prevent the attacks and arrest the culprit, a day before.
According to the police, a woman was stabbed near Millenium Mall in the Gulistan-i-Jauhar area. Another woman was attacked at Aziz Bhatti Park in Gulshan-i-Iqbal. Both attacks occurred in the jurisdiction of the Aziz Bhatti police station.
A third woman was attacked in Gulshan-i-Jamal that falls under the Shahrah-e-Faisal police station. The fourth incident was reported in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, where a 13-year old girl was stabbed and injured. She was taken to Jinnah hospital for treatment. The hospital’s executive director, Dr Seemin Jamali said that the girl sustained minor stab wounds on her back.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah Thursday announced cash reward of Rs 500,000 for anyone who informs about the “knife attacker” attacking women in particular Gulistan-e-Johar area of the metropolis. According to Rasheed Channa, the spokesman for the Chief Minister, the CM also got progress report from Additional Inspector General of Police, Karachi, Mushtaq Mahar regarding the knife stabbing cases. Mahar informed the chief minister that in all 10 cases had been reported to this effect and on Wednesday night 15 arrests were made. One important arrest had been made on Thursday, he added. The chief minister remarked that “I want results”.
INP