Following the fresh wave of targeted killings in the city, the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) on early Tuesday conducted search operations in different areas of the city and detained some 25 suspects with weapons. According to police sources, the search operations were conducted in different areas of the city including Orangi Town, Bukhari Colony, Faqir Colony, Qauid-e-Azam colony, Ranchor Line, Liaquatabad, Thando Goth, Kamosh Colony, Angara Goth and B1 Area of Liaquatabad.
They said that law enforcers had cordoned off these areas and started house to house search initially in Bukhari Colony and Faqir Colony on early Tuesday and later extended the search operation to the other areas. They said the LEAs had detained some 25 people during the operations and shifted them to unidentified place for interrogation.
Eyewitnesses said LEAs' personnel after cordoning off the areas, detained the suspects. Blindfolded and hands tied, the suspects were shifted to unknown place. They said the residents of Liaquatabad after the operation staged protest demonstration against the LEAs on Shahrah Pakistan. They also burnt tires and pelted moving vehicles with stones to express resentment against the operation, which led to gridlock on Shahrah Pakistan for hours.
The protesters chanted slogans against the LEAs, saying that they conducted fake search operations after the violence in the city. They further said these search operations were not aimed at producing results, as these were carried out when the miscreants fled to their hideouts.
Furthermore, they said, these operations are not bringing peace to the city but creating problems for the innocent citizens as they were detained and interrogated, besides their families were also forced to pay handsome amount to the law enforcers for their release. Later, the law enforcers dispersed the protesters through baton charge and teargas shells. No official was available to verify the exact figures of detained persons.