[DAWN] A ’commander’ of the Lyari ...one of the eighteen constituent towns of the city of Karachi. It is the smallest town by area in the city but also the most densely populated. Lyari has few schools, substandard hospitals, a poor water system, limited infrastructure, and broken roads. It is a stronghold of ruling Pakistan Peoples Party. Ubiquitous gang activity and a thriving narcotics industry make Lyari one of the most disturbed places in Karachi, which is really saying a lot....
gang warfare allegedly involved in assassination of, among others, three foreigners in the Hub area of Balochistan
...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...
was bumped off in an ’encounter’ in Malir by Rangers in the early hours of Thursday, a spokesperson for the paramilitary force said.
Acting on information, the paramilitary force encircled the hideout in Murad Memon Goth of Malir at around 2am.
On seeing the Rangers’ personnel, the suspects resorted to firing with automatic weapons. Reinforcements were called in by the Rangers and during an intense exchange of fire, one suspect was bumped off while trying to escape in Bachal Goth near Murad Memon Goth. His two accomplices fled taking advantage of darkness, said the Rangers’ official.
The spokesperson identified the dead suspect as Ghafoor alias Chhotu, a ’commander’ of gangsters in the Malir locality.
"He was a close aide of Lyari gang leader Noor Mohammed alias Baba Ladla," said the Rangers’ spokesperson, adding that the dead suspect had established a reign of terror in the Malir area.
Baba Ladla was killed by Rangers in a ’shoot-out’ in Lyari in February. Ladla’s two close associates ‐ Sikandar alias Sikku and Mohammad Yaseen alias Mama ‐ were also killed in the encounter.
According to the Rangers, Baba Ladla was a "most wanted" suspect who had been involved in 74 terrorism incidents and other heinous crimes. Another ringleader of Lyari gang warfare was Uzair Jan Baloch, now facing trial in a military court.
"Ghafoor Chhotu was wanted in more than 20 heinous crimes," said a Rangers’ statement issued to the media.
They included murder of three foreigners, reportedly Chinese nationals, in Hub in 2006. Besides he was also involved in attacks on police and security personnel. Furthermore he had remained involved in extortion, drug trafficking, kidnapping for ransom and other such crimes.