Two activists of the Sunni Tehreek (ST), who were on their way to the Nishtar Park to attend the Pakistan Bachao Jan Nisaran-e-Mustafa (PBUH) conference organized by the ST to mark the martyrdom of two of its leaders targeted on the 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal in 2006, were gunned down in Garden on Sunday afternoon.

Police said that Saleem Qadri and Sohail Qadri were on their way to attend the rally when two men riding on a motorcycle opened fire on them and fled.On receiving information about the incident, a police van rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to hospital where they were pronounced dead.

Police cordoned off the crime scene where they found empty shells of a 9mm pistol. According to the medical report, Sohail had been shot three times while Saleem two times. Activists and leaders of the ST staged a protest at the Civil Hospital where the bodies of the deceased were taken and demanded immediate arrest of the killers.

Tension gripped the Garden area where unidentified men resorted to aerial firing and forced the shopkeepers to close their shops. Sohail Qadri was the resident of BP Factory Gali in Garden while Saleem Qadri lived in Baldia Town area. The funeral prayers of the deceased took place in Baldia Town.

Meanwhile, the Sunni Tehreek’s chief, Sarwat Ejaz Qadri, announced that the party would now become a “political party” and commence its political activities from March 23 from a jalsa at the Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore.

The party chief, who had already been complaining about the “trampling of its democratic rights” by the government which was not even letting the party paste its posters in the city, vowed to besiege the Governor’s House if the killers of his party’s workers were not arrested till Monday (today). He said suo moto action should not be taken on ‘memos’ alone, notice should also be taken of acts of terrorism.

Targeted violence has badly hit the district South of Karachi police since the beginning of the year where activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat and three lawyers were killed in the last two weeks.

The ongoing wave of targeted violence has also claimed the life of a police constable of Arambagh police station.

FIRING NEAR AFAQ’S HOUSE: An activist of the MQM-Haqiqi was shot at near the house of MQM-H chairman, Afaq Ahmed, in Landhi on Sunday, police said.

Police identified the activist as Atif. His condition was stated to be stable. Police sources said that Afaq Ahmed had summoned a meeting of the study circle at his residence on Sunday afternoon.

The activists and leaders were heading for Afaq’s residence to attend the meeting when unidentified suspects started raising slogans against the party which led to a brawl.

Soon people started pelting each other with stones. In the meantime unidentified people opened random fire, injuring the activist of the MQM-H.

As soon as police learnt about the incident, they rushed to the spot, shifted the injured to a hospital and managed to bring the situation under control.

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Sunni Tehreek supporters chant slogans during a party gathering at the Nishtar Park on Sunday