Renewed terror on Monday revisited Karachi after a couple of days of lull in violence, which largely caused panic among the public and business community and scaled back trade activities in the old city parts of the metropolis to almost nothing.
A spin was witnessed in the violence from Baldia Town to Lyari Town after a respite for nearly two days again haunted the country's largest commercial and economic centre to cease trade and business activities in all nearby parts.
Gunfire started at dawn in the Khadda Market and elsewhere in Lyari Town, leaving the people altogether hostage in the area as two rival groups resorted to violence. Commuters suffered as public transport disappeared from roads, and shops were shuttered down in markets.
The city had just begun creeping back towards normalcy after over 100 people fell to about four days of violence, and suddenly hit by a fresh wave of violence. Residents were stuck up in the area as tension continued to mount, despite calling law enforcers for peace restoration. "Some unknown motor bikers arrived in markets of the old city area and forced traders with gunfire to shutter down their shops at about 10.30 am," said President of Old City Traders Alliance, Jamil Paracha. He said the fresh violence brought several markets there to an abrupt closure which included Jodia Bazaar, gold, paper, shoe, generator, wholesale markets, and Denso Hall and Napier Road markets.
"About millions of rupees losses the old city markets suffer on daily basis for forced closures by the outlaws in the area," he said, adding that in such a dreadful situation the law enforcers also abandoned the area. "There is no precedent of such a brisk straight gunfire at shops in the area," he said. He warned the government of a protest demonstration if it did not restore peace in the area during the next 48 hours, saying traders would soon call a convention on the issue of lawlessness.
Paracha said the two rival groups of Lyari town hit first Moosa Lane area where according to some reports, they resorted to a straight gunfire at shops' shutters and caused damage. He said the outlaws had also fired at some shops in the old city area markets, however, no casualty was reported. "Traders and residents of the area are in deep shock of fears since this morning for continued violence," he showed concerns, saying the public demanded of the government for airtight security at any cost.
He blamed the warring clans of the area were deliberately inflicting fears on the public to gain their goals by bringing the city's normal affairs to a complete standstill whenever they wanted. Grain traders said the violence had also brought supply of essential commodities to the rest of the city and elsewhere in the country to a standstill. They demanded of the government to restore peace.
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