KARACHI: A senior leader of the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen said on Monday that 160 people belonging to the Shia sect had been killed in Karachi since the Rangers-led targeted operation was launched.

Speaking at a press conference at the Pak Muharram Hall in Soldier Bazaar, MWM leader Allama Amin Shaheedi questioned the effectiveness of the Rangers-led targeted operation, which was launched in September 2013, and said that it had failed to curb the killings on sectarian grounds.

“The 160 victims include three eminent scholars, five doctors, five engineers, three professors, five lawyers and 21 traders,” he said.

Also read: Sectarian killings

“All of them were killed during one year of the operation in Karachi. The situation goes from bad to worse and one can’t feel secure in this city with such a number of killings only on sectarian grounds. It’s so unfortunate that the extraordinary number of casualties have failed to impress the authorities to move for a lasting peace in Karachi.”

He urged civil society and political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Awami National Party, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl), to come forward and evolve a joint strategy against the banned outfits.

“For years, we have been demanding a military operation in Karachi,” said Allama Shaheedi. “We repeat the demand that the city be given under the control of the army, which may carry out a North Waziristan-like operation to eliminate terrorists. We see this as the only and sustainable solution to the bloodshed in Karachi.”

He said that the civil administration had completely failed to carry out its responsibility, which led to call for the military’s role to protect citizens against the terrorist attacks.

“The killing of Allama Ali Akbar Kumaili is another attempt to harass and terrorise religious scholars of a particular sect. This was not the first incident of its kind but it’s so unfortunate that the government despite frequent killings have not made any serious move to hear our concerns,” he said.

The government inaction, he said, encouraged the terrorists who now had started targeting Shia traders.

He asked the government to adopt concrete and serious practical measures to ensure security.

“Karachi is the business capital and backbone of Pakistan’s economy. The deteriorating law and order situation is not only affecting this city but in fact putting a dent to overall business environment of the country,” added Allama Shaheedi.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2014