Violence rattles Karachi; 5 killed, 26 vehicles torched

KARACHI: At least five people have been killed including the organizing committee member of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Farooq Baig while another nine men were wounded in incidents of violence that erupted in the afternoon and lasted for long in metropolis on Monday, Geo News reported.

Meanwhile, miscreants have set ablaze some 26 vehicles and a bank in the fresh wave of violence in the city, police sources said.

The panic gripped the city, which reached pinnacle in the evening as almost all kind of businesses went shut in fear of violence and the worst traffic jams were witnessed on main and linking roads.

Armed men forced people to close the shops, offices, hotels, restaurants, cabins and markets across city.

According to police sources, the vehicles were torched in Soldier Bazaar, Federal B. Area, Yaseenabad, Burns Road, Gulshan-e-Maymar, Orangi Town and North Karachi areas.

Quaid MQM Altaf Hussain said Monday that the killing of Baig was a conspiracy to destablise the city.

Earlier, some unidentified gunmen shot and injured a member organizing committee of MQM, Farooq Baig, near Bagh-e-Korangi area in Landhi locality, who succumbed to injuries while being rushed to hospital.

Following the target killing, some unknown gunmen gunned down two men near Dar-ul-Uloom in Korangi who could not be identified, police said.

A man was shot dead near Tariq Road while five more men were injured in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Garden and Malir areas.

Two buses and a truck were set on fire in Korangi No.6. A dumper was set ablaze near Al-Karam Square in Liaquatabad.

A bus and a taxi and three cars were burnt in Pak Colony, University Road and Federal B. Area.

Five more buses were set on fire near Punjab Chowrangi, Purani Sabzi Mandi, Tariq Road, New Karachi and Lasbela areas.