KARACHI - At least two workers affiliated with Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan were shot dead, dozen others wounded in clash between two sectarian groups in New Karachi locality.
Two young men were killed and at least a dozen others were wounded during a clash between two sectarian groups in New Karachi locality on the night between Wednesday and Thursday. Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, however, has claimed the affiliation of the deceased persons with the party.
Deceased persons were later identified as 26-year-old Shahbaz Shahid and Shahid Mian, 30 while injured persons included Ahmed Raza, 16, Muhammad Afsar, 23, Zubair Abid, 18, Bilal Raza, 20, Yasin Iqbal, 24, Aslam Ghaffor, 22, Naved Rafiq, 25, Riasat Mumtaz Ali, 52, Abdul Wahab, 30 and three others.
Their funeral prayers were offered separately at different Masjids in New Karachi and later the victims were laid to rest at local graveyards. TLP leader Omar Farooq led the funeral prayers of one of the victims – Shahbaz.
Besides family members, relatives and a large number of TLP leaders, workers and supporters also presented at the funeral procession.
The participants of the funeral procession also staged a protest and shouted slogans against the incident. Extra contingent of the law enforcers including Rangers and police were also deployed at the procession occasion about to avoid any untoward incident.
The victims killed and injured during a clash between the two sectarian groups in New Karachi’s Sindhi Hotel area within the limits of Bilal Colony police station. Police officials said that the situation turned violent when one sect members were staging demonstration in the area following the Aasia Bibi’s acquittal in the blasphemy case and their rivalry sect members were passing through the area in connection with the Juloos-e-Aza. Participants of the procession said that the protesters pelted with stones on passing procession which resulting exchange of stones turned into gun betel.
More contingent of the law enforcers were immediately called at the site of the clash. The law enforcers also charged the miscreants from both sides with batons, used teargas shells as well as the police force was also compelled to shot fire into the air to disperse the miscreants. Besides the killings of two persons, about half of a dozen others from both sides were also wounded. The victims were taken to different hospital for medical treatment including Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
No case has been registered till the filing of this news story as what the police said that they were waiting for the victims’ heirs to register the cases.
“It has yet to be ascertained of which firing the victims killed. We have also collected the evidences including the empty shells of the pistols used in the incident for the ballistics cross matching,” says Bilal Colony SHO Malik Afzal.
The officer said that both the victims who lost their lives in the tragic incident were the residents of New Karachi while one Muhammad Shahid was the passerby and Shahbaz was the TLP worker.
