At least 13 people were killed and 18 injured in gunbattles between two rival groups of political parties in the Malir and Landhi areas of Karachi on Friday. The gangs reportedly used heavy weaponry, forcing residents of the areas to remain indoors for fear of getting caught up in the crossfire. The clashes began when one of the groups attacked members of the rival party in Sherpao Colony, injuring several in the early hours of Friday.
Activists of the Muhajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (Afaq) entered the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)-dominated areas of the city soon after, and the resultant clashes left three dead and five injured in the Noor Manzil, Landhi 89, and Babar Market areas. Malir City, Khokhrapar and Jaffer Tayyar Society also fell prey to violence later as the battle between the two gangs intensified, with armed men from both groups taking positions on the areas’ rooftops and targeting their rivals.
Armed men from the MQM-Haqiqi and the People’s Amn Committee took over a unit office (No 164) of the MQM after killing two of its activists and planted their flags and party logos on the walls.
The miscreants also set ablaze the house of MQM leader Maqbool in the Model Colony area of Malir. Rangers and police, however, thwarted their attempts to set fire to the house of another leader of the party. The miscreants also lobbed a hand-grenade at Hussani Chowrangi in Sherpao Colony, injuring two people.
THREE ACTIVISTS EACH: Three activists each of the MQM-Haqiqi and the MQM were killed in the violence and 14 were injured. Reportedly, a pregnant woman named Shabnam Irfan received bullet injuries in Malir on her way to the hospital.
Police and paramilitary troops avoided entering the area because of the intense shootout between the two heavily-armed gangs. All businesses and shops shut down after a shootout between the two gangs in Khokhrapar. Eyewitnesses said they saw fighters carrying RPGs and hand-grenades. Rangers and police only entered the area when fighting had abated to a large extent and took charge, but failed to make any arrests.
Sindh Inspector General (IG) Wajid Ali Durrani told reporters that door-to-door search operations would be conducted in the areas in question and no one would be permitted to take the law into their own hands. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani assured the National Assembly on Friday that the report on the killings in Malir and Landhi would be shared with the House and the government would maintain peace in Karachi.“We cannot afford violence in Karachi as its stability is interlinked with the political and economic stability of the country. I will submit a report on violence in Karachi once I receive it from the provincial authorities,” the prime minister said. Earlier, protesting against the violence in Karachi, MQM National Assembly Member (MNA) Sajid Ahmed accused the Lyari Amn Committee of being involved in the shootouts in Malir.
Intolerance is destroying the very fabric of the society. Your report is independent of any bias. Three activists from each warring factions have been killed. All of them were obviously fighting a turf war. It is unfortunate that both parties would label them as shaheeds (martyrs). How could they be called shaheeds. Your report is unequivocal that the clashes took place between MQM-H and MQM-A groups. However, MQM leaders have been utilising all their energies in press conferences and talk shows to make the public believe that the MQM-A people were unarmed and were killed by MQM-H.
Whatever the circumstances are, the primary responsibility to maintain law and order lies with the provincial government. The security forces should restore law and order to inspire confidence in the people.
Haroon of MQM. in News Beat program of a private TV channel, was issuing a veiled ultimatum to the government that the citizens may take law into their hands. This was quite serious challenge to the government.
Let UNO,Security council,USA,UK,CIA,M16 ,Pakistan government,Election Commission of Pakistan ban MQM,the political urban terrorists, the heavily armed militant outfit since 1980s responsible for killings of thousands of innocent poor of Karachi for blackmailing their coalition partners for more political gains and bathakhori of billion of dollars now challenged for last three years by PPP-Z,ANP to share the pie.It has been all political and money game of billion of dollars over the dead bodies of poor and rocking the boat of Pakistan to disintegration.The realer nation get rids of them the better or we are doomed to already systematic disintegration and slavery to India ,USA.LET concerned institution react immediately.As a first step,Martial LAW IS IMPOSED IN kARACHI.
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