KARACHI, Aug 20: Police have begun to find any link between the killing of five brothers and two separate incidents of doctors’ killing in the current month.

However, all the three incidents in which seven people lost their lives, appeared to be sectarian-motivated killings.

IGP Syed Kamal Shah told Dawn on Wednesday that the killings of five brothers and the two doctors were targeted to terrorize citizens. He said that such killings, in which motives were not apparent, but sects were involved, had always created panic in society, as everyone felt himself insecure after such incidents.

However, he said that sporadic incidents of target killings took place in the month of February and now in August after the lapse of five months.

Since the arrest of key elements of a banned militant group, the spate of killings was not as intense as it was in the past. The police had broken the chain of command of militant groups but some militants may be working individually or in small groups, he observed.

He said that a meeting, held at the Central Police Office, reviewed the investigation carried out so far in three recent cases.

It may be recalled here that five brothers were shot dead on Jahangir Road on Aug 9, while on their way to home from their shop in Soldier Bazaar. On Aug 16, Dr Ibne Hasan was shot dead in front of his clinic in Malir-15. On Aug 19, Dr Shoaib Shafiq was gunned down near Aga Khan University Hospital.

Mr Shah said that the police had been looking into all the three cases simultaneously to find any link among them. He said, “We are very much hopeful that we will not only find a clue to killers, but also put the terrorists behind bars and prosecute them in a court.”

About five brothers’ killing, he said the police had been investigating the case and there might be different motives behind the killing. There may be sectarian motive, or an outcome of some personal grudge or any other motive. The police had been investigating by taking all the aspects into account, he added.