London riots: three Pakistan-origin Britishers killed

Three people of Pakistan-origin died on Wednesday after being hit by a car during riots in the central English city of Birmingham, a private TV channel quoted local officials as saying, amid reports that they died while trying to protect their community from looters.
Quoting police, the channel reported the police had arrested a man and launched a murder inquiry after the incident which happened at around 1:00 am (0000 GMT) as Britain’s second biggest city suffered from another night of riots. Paramedics said they found around 80 people at the scene after the men were hit by the car.
Two of the men were pronounced dead at the scene and the third died later in hospital. According to reports, the men who died had just come out of a mosque and were protecting their neighbourhood during the riots. Around 200 people from Birmingham’s Asian community gathered outside the hospital where the victims were taken and that riot police were also stationed there.
In a message, the Pakistan High Commission in the United Kingdom expressed concern over unfortunate incidents of rioting in London and other cities of UK during last few days. These incidents had rendered scores of properties destroyed while a number of innocent people had to face brutalities at the hands of unscrupulous elements.
The High Commission said that in many incidents, Pakistani community members had been targeted by rioters, who also vandalised their businesses and properties. It advised the Pakistani community to maintain calm and vigilance and extend their full cooperation to the British authorities.
It also advised them to immediately report any untoward incident to the police and also inform the High Commission so that a well coordinated effort may be made to overcome the situation in coordination with the British authorities. It also advised the Pakistanis visiting the UK to register their presence with the High Commission in London or nearby Consulates General in Birmingham, Bradford, Manchester or Glasgow.
The Pakistan High Commission expressed complete solidarity with the British authorities and would be ready to extend full cooperation to bring the situation under control. In this regard, the High Commission would requested the general public, especially the Pakistani Diaspora, to cooperate with the British authorities in bringing normalcy to their neighbourhood.