Report: Target Killing

ISLAMABAD: 

As many as 73 people were killed across the country in 43 incidents of violence during the last week while another 20 were injured and one was kidnapped.

This week, target killings claimed the most lives, with 25 people being gunned down in Karachi alone. Terrorist activities were the second most violent, with 13 incidents across Pakistan, killing 16 people and injuring 18 others.

The statistics were released in a weekly monitoring report prepared by the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) that collected data from January 26 to February 1, 2013.

Civilians remained the most affected, constituting 77% of the total victims — a 14% increase from last week’s 63%. The fatalities of security forces dropped from 30% to nine per cent, while those of militants went up from seven per cent to 14%.

Compared to last week’s, the number of incidents doubled from 27 to 43. Twenty people were injured in these incidents, down from the preceding week’s 21.

Region-wise statistics show that as many as 38 people were killed in Sindh and four were injured in target killings, sectarian violence and attacks on political party workers and leaders.

In Balochistan, 21 people were lost to target killings, terrorism and tribal conflicts, while 16 were injured and one was killed in sectarian violence. One was kidnapped in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, according to the report. A counter-terrorism operation in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) killed 13 militants.

There were attacks on a government-run school in Khyber Agency, the office of the deputy election commissioner in Khuzdar, the office of the National Database and Registration Authority in Qilla Abdullah and a high-transmission line in Charsadda.

Another seven people were killed in Karachi in attacks on political party leaders and workers. Gunmen shot dead three workers each of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Sunni Tehreek and the Pakistan Peoples Party.

A counter-terrorism operation in Orakzai Agency killed 13 militants. A tribal conflict also claimed six lives in Dera Bugti while an ethno-political attack in Karachi left a member of an action committee dead.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6^th, 2013.