KARACHI - Law enforcement agencies have failed to curb sectarian killing which claimed over 750 lives during a year of Karachi targeted operation.
The security forces claimed to have arrested 20,000 criminals and killed around 350 criminals and terrorists during the targeted operation which completed its 12th month.
The targeted operation drive started on September 5, 2013 but security forces have unable to protect the lives of people, killed on sectarian grounds, including doctors, educationists, traders and other professionals.
The operation against the politically-motivated criminals and gangsters has continued in the City. The law enforcers were seen reluctant to go after the sectarian target killers, said Ali Ahmer, spokesman of Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen.
The terrorists are gaining strength in the commercial hub of the country and those involved in sectarian killing continue their job without any fear of apprehension, he said. He claimed that at least 500 innocent Shia people have been killed since the targeted operation started in the City. He said proportional increase in the sectarian killing during the operation proved that law enforcement agencies had failed to curb the sectarian terrorism.
He pointed out that extremist Takfiri militants group of Middle East, ISIS or Daish have started working in Karachi. He said the militants and sectarian groups had also started joining Daish in Karachi. Ali Ahmer said distribution of leaflets with promotion of Daish had been circulating in various militant-dominated areas and wall-chalking of ISIS was also visible in such areas. He said the LEAs were mainly focusing upon politically-motivated criminals. The focus was suddenly turned towards the terrorists since operation Zarb-e-Azab started in North Waziristan.
Talking to The Nation, Maulana Orangzaib Farooqi, central leader of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamat, told that administration has failed to curb the organisations involved in sectarian killings. He ruled out the possibility of Daish’s existence in Karachi, saying the influence of neighboring country in sectarian killing is present. He said the law enforcement agencies could not suppose to arrest the actual culprits involved in sectarian killing because of the political influence.
He said over 200 workers and sympathisers had so far been killed during the operation. He pointed out that besides killing, at least 22 ASWJ workers were picked up by the security agencies. They were went missing during the targeted operation.
Sources privy to the matter revealed that during the operation, law enforcement agencies have arrested less than 100 terrorists.
They said the security forces claimed to have killed over 300 criminals and terrorists but unable to flash out significant number of terrorists involved in sectarian killing.
At least 2,000 people were killed so far in various incidents of targeted killing including 150 police officers and personnel and 15 soldiers of rangers.
It is worth mentioning here that counter terrorism experts in police department, heading the special police cells including the Crime Investigation Department, are not performing their duties during the whole Karachi operation.
Interestingly, the security forces did not claim of curbing any prominent sectarian group operating in the City.
The tit-for-tat formula between the rival sectarian groups has been ended a couple of months ago but the recent incidents of sectarian killing have indicated the emergence of further sectarian groups. The killing of Maulana Mufti Naeem’s son-in-law is considered the reaction of killing of son-in-law of Shia scholar Allama Talib Johri.
City police chief AIG Ghulam Qadir Thebo was not available when contacted for comments.