The raging wave of violence which gripped Pakistan since the start of the year further dwindled during the current week, yet Karachi continues to seethe under the ethno-political, sectarian and criminal violence which is doggedly undermining the security of the city for the last few weeks. The ensuing violence has resulted in the killing of 141 people during past six weeks. The data collected through different sources suggests that 77 people lost their lives in 65 incidents of violence across the country. Unlike past weeks Karachi witnessed majority of violence during the course of the week and 44 people perished in different areas of the city, mostly in Layari (for details see data sheet). The violent clashes also left 160 people injured across the country. Number of injured increased from last week 111 to 160 this week.

During the course of the week once again it were the civilians who paid the maximum human cost of the ongoing spate of violence, as 67 percent of the total causalities were of the civilians, whereby 52 civilians were killed and 126 others were wounded in different episodes of violence across the country. Meanwhile military vs. militants– clashes in different areas of KP and FATA region left 17 militants dead and injured 11 others. Furthermore after a respite of three weeks, CIA operated drone once again struck in Miramshah, North Waziristan (FATA) and killed three suspected militants and their operations– base, which was located in an abandoned school building. Also, sabotage attacks by the militants continued unabated as three more schools, two gas pipelines, and portions of railway track were blown up by the militants in different areas of KP, Balochistan, Sindh and FATA region during the week in focus.

Contrary to the preceding week, the number of sectarian attacks decreased slightly from last week four incidents to three violent episodes during the current week. Whereby two people were killed as a result of these attacks and both of these deaths were reported in Sindh. The wave of sectarian violence in Sindh ensued after unidentified armed men shot at and injured a religious leader of Shia Ulema Council, Shafqat Ali HarhoDomki, in Qambar Shahdadkot district (Sindh).

During the reporting week, as many as 31 percent of the total deaths occurred due to the gory episodes of target killings all over the country, hence target killings was the weapon of choice in the hands of miscreants to inflict maximum casualties (as depicted in pie chart below). Out of 19 incidents of target killings ´ 63 percent took place in Karachi alone, and left 19 people dead, including two policemen, and wounded 58 others. Contrary to the past weeks militant causalities as a result of the ongoing military operation against militants in KP and FATA region caused just 22 percent of the total death toll.

Moreover, security operation against criminal gangs in restive Layari district of Karachi was the salient feature of the week. So far 29 people mostly suspected criminals and four policemen have been killed as a result of frequent clashes between the battling groups and security forces in the area. Meanwhile, seven dead bodies were also recovered from different areas of Karachi, Balochistan and FATA.

Overall there was a relative respite in violence as against the whopping violence during past weeks. The death toll dropped marginally from last week 83 to 77 this week. But the number of violent incidents swelled ´ 65 against last week 56. A concise analysis of the data suggests that there is going on a shift into the territory and nature of violence in the past few weeks, and the center of gravity is shifting to Karachi and Balochistan as against KP and FATA. Target killing is emerging as the major cause of violence and civilians continues to be the prime victim of violence.

Sources

1. The News
2. Dawn
3. The Express Tribune
4. Pakistan Today
5. Daily Times
6. The Frontier Post
7. Jang (Urdu)
8. Daily Mashriq (Urdu)
9. Aaj (Urdu)
10. The Nation