City-wide violent protests, apparently by the enraged PPP workers who were shockingly grieved over the assassination of their outspoken party leader, left at least five people dead in Karachi. Sources in Edhi and Cheepa, however, did not confirm reports of casualties in riots.
With extensive reports of firing received from across the city scores of vehicles, tyres, banners and billboards of various political parties, particularly the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), were indiscriminately set on fire by furious mobs.
Samama Shopping Mall in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, National Hospital near Kalapul at main Korangi Road, offices of the Town Municipal Administration and MQM in Keamari Town and Lasbela police station precincts were torched by the angry crowds by the time of filing this report.
Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Dunba Goth police stations also came under attack, with an exchange of fire between the police and attackers reportedly. The rioters, who set some shops ablaze in Lyari, forcefully shut down all businesses in the city without any check by the law enforcement agencies.
An angry mob also torched Suzuki van No CA-0750 of Business Recorder staffer Patrick Sunny near National Hospital, Kalapul. Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) office in Clifton was also set on fire. The terrified Karachiites, both male an female, left their offices hastily and rushed to their abodes on foot, as the public transport got clogged or disappeared from the roads soon after the televisions aired the unfortunate news.
Due to peoples' haste to reach safer places and virtual stoppage of public transport, the worst ever traffic jams were witnessed at almost all thoroughfares of the city, including M A Jinnah Road, Shahra-e-Faisal, Bilawal House, Karsaz, University Road, as well as all strongholds of the PPP.
Besides, Pakistan Railways suspended their services for an unspecified time after two of its trains, Shah Latif Express and Kushal Khan Khattak Express, were set on fire in the interior of Sindh by the rioters.
Moreover, an almost choked telephone network across the country caused lots of irritation and panic to those who were gravely worried about the wellbeing of their out-of-sight loved ones.
Surprisingly, not a single law enforcer was present to control the law and order situation at the hot spots. The rioters had a free hand to defy the writ of the government, which has been a prime concern of the Musharraf administration while dealing with tribal areas of the country. Police sources, however, presented the jam-packed traffic chaos as an alibi for their absence from the scenes of violence.
To avoid any untoward situation, Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat-ul Ibad Khan announced 3-days of mourning and closure of all government and educational institutions. Areas worst hit by the riots included Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Guru Mandir, RCD Highway, Northern Bypass, Lyari, Clifton, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Malir, Liaquatabad, Karsaz, Old Subzi Mandi, Mehmoodabad, some areas of Korangi, Patel Para etc.
Sindh Governor, political parties, civil society and religious organisations and all economic and educational institutions, condemning the attack, expressed their grief over the tragic assassination of the former premier.
Comments
Comments are closed.