60 Kutchis killed in Karachi in two weeks

Bhuj, 3 July, 2013

People of Kutchi community living in Karachi are now facing danger of ethnic cleansing. In last two weeks, more than 60 Kutchi people are killed in Karachi in open firings and grenade attacks. People of Kutchi community living in the areas of Lyari are even unable to step outside their houses due to fear of getting killed. Children avoid going to school, because the gangsters start firing in Kutchi community dominated areas of Karachi anytime, and they don’t leave women and children too. Karachi has 40,000 houses of Kutchi community.

On Tuesday this week, two members of the Kutchi community in Lyari were killed while over half a dozen others suffered injuries in separate incidents, as the entire neighborhood echoed with gunfire and explosions according to Express Tribune.

Usman Ghani, 35, son of Suleman, suffered multiple bullet wounds and died on the spot when unidentified men opened fire on him in Agra Taj Colony. Police officials said that victim belonged to the Kutchi community and was killed by rival group members in the ongoing turf war.Another man belonging to the Kutchi community, Yaqoob Kutchi, was shot dead in the Hingorabad area of Lyari. Meanwhile, Mushtaq Ahmed, 38, was wounded in firing in Bihar Colony. Separately, about half a dozen people were wounded in a hand grenade attack in Mandara Mohalla, Lyari. The injured included Ibrahim, Waqas and Younus.

Kutchi Rabita Committee leader Hussain Kutchi claimed the affiliations of the victims to his party.The men were attacked by Lyari gangsters, he alleged, adding that Lyari gangsters had resumed violent activities in the Kutchi-dominated areas after the Rangers killed Saqib Boxer.

Last week the Kutchi community protesters said they daily found the dead bodies. Khurram Memon, resident of Kharader, said that at least 20 people were abducted and killed in last week only. Police said that the assailants moved to Macchar Colony from Kharader where they killed two more people belonging to Katchi community. They were identified as Saleem Hussain and Abdul Rehman.

Later, the gunmen opened indiscriminate firing at Kutchi community dominated area, injuring Saeeda Bibi, Umer Kutchi, Ahmed Shah and Usman. In another incident of firing in Rexer Line area, Lyari, gunmen sprayed bullets on public bus which left two more people wounded. Earlier, gangsters threw three mutilated bodies form different areas of Lyari, including a body was found from Mirza Adam Khan Road, KH Road and Aghra Taj Colony.

After the killing of eight people, law enforcers claimed to have started targeted operation in Lyari and killed an alleged gangster, Saqib aka Boxer after an exchange of fire.

In another incident, a young man was shot dead in the remits of Kalri police station. The police believe that the victim belonged to the Kutchi community. They added that he was allegedly kidnapped by unidentified persons who had shot him at point-blank range and dumped his body. A case has been registered against unidentified men.

A young man was shot dead within the remits of Chakiwara police station. The victim’s identity has yet to be ascertained, however, the police believe that he belonged to the Kutchi community.

In the middle of last month, Kutchi community members gathered at the Mauripur road and caused a massive traffic jam that lasted for several hours to protest against the ongoing violence after death of a minor girls and injuries to three others in armed attacks in Lyari. The attack was carried out with automatic weapons at 7.00 am.A bakery owned by Kutchi community person was attacked. According to Hussain Kutchi, a member of the community, rockets, grenads and heavy machine guns are used against the community, and the attackers don’t leave women and children too.

In another development, hundreds of Kutch community members staged a massive protest at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) against the ongoing violence, grenade attacks and the allegedly biased attitude of law enforcing agencies towards their people.

Haji Younus Soomro claimed that deputy speaker of the Sindh Assembly assured the Katchi community that it would be protected. However, early on Wednesday morning, gangsters started firing in areas dominated by the Katchi community, “killing a minor girl and seriously injuring three others”, he said.

He also alleged that the police and Rangers entered their locality a few days ago and started arresting innocent Katchi youth instead of going after the gangsters.

Gangsters backed by the People’s Aman Committee (PAC) are beleived responsible for attacks on Kutchi community.

PAC leader Zafar Baloch said the Baloch and Kutchi communities have been living in peace for several decades but that some Kutchi Rabita Committee (KRC) members are destroying the peace in Lyari.

Early last month in the absence of law enforcers, as many as 50 grenades were exchanged on one day(8 June) in Lyari. As rangers were unable to enter the area, gangsters with machine guns and grenades were openly moving on rooftops with walky talky and killing people.

(Report is compilation of various news reports published in Karachi newspapers)

Kutchi mosque in Lyari(Karachi)