Six people were burnt to death when a mob enraged by the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto torched Mexican garment Unit in Ibrahim Hyderi Police Station Jurisdiction, as violent protest and rioting left more than 33 people dead in Sindh.
Officials said that as dozen people are still inside the factory the toll may goes up. As violent protest and rioting flared up in the country especially in Sindh province in the aftermath of Benazir's assassination on Thursday, authorities called out army to assist the civil administration to contain violence and maintain law and order in Sindh.
The miscreants and arsonists kept roaming the main roads and streets, ransacking and torching banks, vehicles and other public and private property across Karachi as violent protest against the assassination of Benazir Bhutto rocked the whole country on Friday. Incidents of violence throughout the city left at least 10 people dead and several others injured with over 1000 vehicles and other property torched or otherwise destroyed by enraged protestors.
According to independent sources death toll in Karachi stood at 15 and over 1,000 vehicles were torched, although official figures have put the number of the burnt vehicles at 675.
The mob also burnt about 32 petrol pumps and 18 banks in Karachi. The worst hit area of the violence were Jackson in Keamari Town, Lyari, Jamshed Town, Korangi Industrial Area, Lesbela Chowk, Sachal Goth, Mauripur, Natha Khan Goth, Baloch Colony, Sohrab Goth, Super Highway, Northern Bypass, Mawach Goth, Baldia Town, Shahra-e- Faisal, Site Town, etc.
Angry mobs set ablaze two banks in UC-III of the Keamari town, two UC offices in Jamshed Town, offices of DCO and District Nazim among 30 others, a plastic factory in Korangi Industrial Area, dozens of trailers on Super Highway, Edhi ambulances in Soharab Goth and scores of private vehicles, banks and petrol pumps across the volatile city.
Miscreants also destroyed a KESC office and traffic section on Lesbela Chowk. With 21 more casualties feared, as many as three workers were burnt to death inside a plastic factory in Korangi Industrial Area when charged youths set the facility on fire.
Rangers shot dead four people in Maripur and Sachal Goth area for allegedly creating disturbance. Body of a policeman among three others was brought to Civil Hospital who fell victim to violence. Around 17 injured were also brought to Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Centre and three others to Civil Hospital, according to the hospitals sources.
Sindh Home Secretary Ghulam Mohammad Mohtaram said that twenty-three people have died in clashes and protests in the province since Benazir killing. The army had been deployed in 16 districts of Sindh, including the main city Karachi, he said.
As the civil administration failed to contain violence and rioting, the authorities allowed the paramilitary force of Ranger to shot at sight the rioters and trouble makers in Sindh.
Inspector Sarwar of Ibrahim Hyderi Police Station told APP that six persons were burnt alive when miscreants set Mexican garment Unit in Ibrahim Hyderi Police Station Jurisdiction on fire on Friday. He said although six deaths have been confirmed, but the number can go up as there were more than a dozen persons inside.
Edhi sources said that six persons burnt alive in fire in Mexican garment Unit and bodies of two of them were taken to Jinnah Hospital. The miscreants also put Fazal Textile Mill in Korangi area on fire and fire brigade sources said they were trying to put out the blaze.
Police official Latif Siddiqi told AFP that the factory workers had stayed in the factory overnight because there was no transport to get them home, after opposition leaders called for a national strike to protest Benazir 's killing, keeping taxis and buses off the roads. Siddiqi said rioters also burnt down a BMW car showroom and ransacked a medicine factory and a private hospital in the same area of the city.
Unidentified gunmen shot dead a policeman and wounded three in Karachi, following which authorities issued 'shot at sight' order of the trouble maker. "Yes, shoot on sight anybody who wants to damage the life of innocent citizens and public property," provincial interior Minister Akhtar Zaman told Reuters.
The city, which is called region's industrial and commercial hub, remained completely shut on Friday, the first day of 3-day national mourning announced by President Pervez Musharraf to mourn the assassination of formerly twice prime minister and Chairperson PPP Ms Benazir Bhutto. The opposition parities were also called for a strike for the day to protest the assassination of the national leader.
Five persons suffered bullet injuries in an incident of firing at Ibrahim Hyderi, one in Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block-20 and one in Bhitaiabad wile two cops were injured in Lea Market area. Unruly mobs damaged Lyari Railway Station and burnt the furniture and record and later set up bonfires on Mauripur Road.
Fire engines were rushed on receipt of reports of arsoning of a bank in Haji camp area, a factory on Plot No H.T 1/2 in Korangi Industrial area and the office of UC-13 and a NADRA office in the same UC near Jamaat Khana in Lasbella area.
Meanwhile, the whole city gave a deserted look with all public and private transport being off the roads. In Khairpur, nine persons were killed, offices of banks were set on fire, government buildings and offices of Muslim League Functional were damaged in the city by the supporters mourning the assassination of PPP Chairperson Ms Benazir Bhutto.
According to the DPO office sources, two PPP supporters and a constable posted at the bank are reported to have been killed during an exchange of fire between a bank's guard and PPP supporters on Thursday night. PPP supporters allegedly attacked the NBP building and set it on fire. The National Bank Building was completely burnt and its records also turned to ashes.
Those killed in exchange of firing between Bank guards and PPP supporters, were identified as PPP activists Hafizullah Sheikh and Habibullah Sheikh, while a constable Abdul Latif Shar posted at National Bank of Pakistan died due to suffocation.
Besides, five bank employees and a constable were killed due to suffocation in National Bank of Pakistan building while it was put on fire by the activists. In Rawalpindi, where Benazir was killed, protesters burned down a shopping plaza, ransacked banks and other offices and set tyres ablaze to vent their anger. Most affected were the communication links of Karachi with the rest of the country which remained severed since Thursday.
According to railway sources the entire train operation has been suspended as station to station communication system has been destroyed after violent crowds put a number of railway stations on fire and almost all the evening battery trains emanating from Karachi were set ablaze at various stations.
The air traffic also suffered inordinate delays although PIA announced that efforts are being made to operate flights. However, most people could not reach the airport because of either violence or non-availability of transport.
Private sector Airblue airline Friday suspended its domestic operation. Managing Director Airblue Syed Nasir Ali, however, told APP that it managed to operate four international flights as per schedule. "Since last night a lot of damage has been caused. Shops, cars and government buildings are being burnt," said CCPO Karachi Azhar Ali Farooqi.
"We're trying to control the situation but emotions are running high," he said. Caretaker Home Minister Brigadier (Retd) Akhtar Zamin told APP that troops have started patrolling in Bin Qasim, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Ghakkar Phatak, Gadap, Korangi and Malir areas. Army was called out in Karachi, Nawabshah and Naushahero Feroz for the aid of civil administration in restoring law and order.
He said no decision has yet been taken to clamp curfew any, where in the Province. However, if the situation so required the option in this regard do exist with the government. Fires also blazed across the interior of Sindh, Benazir 's main bastion of support.
A Reuters reporter travelling from Karachi to the Benazir's home district of Larkana said he had seen hundreds of smouldering vehicles and many shops set alight. Protesters had also set fire many trains.
"More and more people are joining the protests. Groups of youths have blocked almost all roads in and around Larkana with burning tyres," he said. In NWFP, two offices of PML-Q were torched in Peshawar, a witness said. Protesters in the south-western province of Balochistan set fire to a railway station, several banks, government vehicles and offices of a PML-Q, police said.
In Muzaffarabad, capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, protesters took to the streets but there was no violence, a witness said. "Long live Bhutto ... killer Musharraf, killer," they shouted.
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