KARACHI: Amid the renewed wave of ‘sectarian killings’, a health practitioner and a shopkeeper were gunned down in two separate attacks in the city on Thursday.

According to the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen, three Shia doctors have been killed during the past one month in Karachi.

Police said Mohammed Azeem, 40, was targeted at his small clinic by armed motorcyclists in Korangi 1 ½ near Nageena mosque. He was rushed to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

Dr Seemin Jamali, head of the JPMC emergency department, told Dawn that he had received gunshot wounds in the head.

“The victim was not a qualified doctor,” said Korangi SSP Nazeer Ahmed Mirbahar, “instead he was a quack.”

He originally hailed from Gilgit, the officer said, adding that investigation was under way to ascertain the exact motive for the killing.

The MWM spokesperson said the deceased was Shia and it was a targeted killing. In the Korangi and Landhi areas, he said, three Shia doctors had been targeted at their respective clinics during the past one month. He explained that Dr Naseem Jaffery and Dr Amir Mehdi were shot dead in 100 Quarters and Landhi-2, respectively.

Shopkeeper shot dead

In Orangi Town, a shopkeeper was targeted in a suspected sectarian attack on Thursday, said an official at the Iqbal Market police.

Syed Ali Mohammed Naqvi, 55, was at his shop when armed motorcyclists fired at him and sped away, the official added.

The victim sustained two gunshot wounds and was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

The victim had no known affiliation with any religious group, said SSP West Irfan Baloch. However, he added, “The murder appeared to be the result of sectarianism.”

Earlier on Wednesday night, , the SSP said, the west zone police had conducted a targeted operation in Surjani Town and rounded up 20 suspects for questioning. He said the operation was carried out following the recent sectarian killings in the city.

Christian activist killed

A 30-year-old man said to be associated with the minority wing of a political party was shot dead in Orangi Town on Thursday, according to the Pakistan Bazaar police.

They added that Akram Masih aka Shahji was targeted at his marble toy shop at Christian Mohalla in Ghaziabad, Sector 11 ½. Armed men riding a motorcycle identified him before firing at him and sped away, the police said.

SSP West Irfan Baloch said the victim was MQM’s minority wing worker and it appeared to be an act of targeted killing.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2014