Violence between ethnic groups and criminal gangs killed 39 people in Pakistan’s financial capital of Karachi, police said Thursday, as the government again struggled for solutions to the unrest.
A former MP for the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Waja Karimdad, was among those killed in the fresh wave of violence in Karachi, where hundreds of additional police and paramilitary troops were deployed last month.
Independent economist A.B. Shahid estimated that 20 percent of the city’s business was shut down Thursday with markets closed in southern neighbourhoods to protest against extortion money demanded by criminal gangs.
The violence has been linked to ethnic tensions between the Mohajirs, represented by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), and Pashtun migrants affiliated to the Awami National Party (ANP).
“The death toll in the violence since yesterday morning has gone up to 39,” city police chief Saud Mirza told AFP, adding that “the situation is getting better” after more police were deployed in the affected areas.
Slum compounds in the Lyari area were spattered with blood, pock marked by bullets and damaged by grenade attacks that killed residents and left widows crying and beating their chests outside their homes.
The federal and the provincial governments have been at a loss on how to quell the unrest, which this year has been at its deadliest in 16 years.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani again dispatched Interior Minister Rehman Malik to Karachi and called for “immediate and across the board action against the criminals who were playing with the peace of the metropolis”.
“Show no leniency to these elements who are there to ruin the city life,” the prime minister said, following talks with provincial and MQM officials, but stopped short of announcing any specific policies.
“The situation is still very tense in Lyari and other areas of southern Karachi with sporadic gunfire being echoed around these neighbourhoods,” a senior security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
He blamed criminal gangs for the fresh outbreak of violence and said more paramilitary rangers and police had been deployed to the troubled areas.
Victims and their families said many of those hurt were innocent bystanders.
“Children were playing in the compound on Wednesday night when two men opened fire on them, killing my nephew Dheeraj, a young girl called Usha and an 80-year old resident,” said Kheraj Das.
“We are poor people, we don’t belong to any political party. I am at a loss to understand why we were attacked and why our innocent children were killed.”
The body of 28-year-old Muhammad Shahnawaz, bearing signs of torture, was dumped in the market area of the neighbourhood on Wednesday, but his brother said he had no grievance with anyone, nor any political affiliations.
“Shahnawaz went for dinner with his four friends, who were also kidnapped. Their bodies were also found from nearby areas”, Muhammad Imtiaz told AFP.
“Why was my innocent brother killed and his three small children deprived of their father?” he asked, tears rolling down his cheeks.
Muhammad Hussain, 30, a resident of impoverished Kharadar neighbourhood, was shot and wounded in the stomach.
He said gunmen had burst into a restaurant where he was breaking his Ramadan fast and opened fire indiscriminately.
ALL The Parties of KaraCHI PPP,MQM,ANP r 1000000000000000%
responsBKLE FOR 4000 KILLED IN targey killing under the watch of COAILTION government of PPP,MQM,ANP AND NOW MLC,MLF.THEIR CHIEFS R RESPONSIBLE.FIR Must be REidtered against them.MR ZARDari,MR Galani,PM,Rehaman MALIK,CM,Interior minister,Rehman Malik,Wali KHAN,sheedi seedi-anp,AlTAF hu.Raza,Haidr Rizvi,Waseem,Faisal SABAZWARI,KHAWAA -All Of MQM.FIR OF CHOUDRY SHUJAT,PERVAIZ eLAGHI ,ml-f MUST BE ALSO FILED.THe tv channels as ARY,EXPRESSM,Samma,cnbc,newsone,geo,dunya,waqat WHO SUPPORT MQM and PPP,ANP and r terrorised by them to project them as ‘masoom’ especially,DR Danish,Badami,lUQMAN,Jaffery,khanzada,pitaffi,shahzad iqbal,asma shirazi,shahis etcetc etc must also be included in FIR for fuelling fire to bloodbaths by protecting their favorites parties and MQM whose workers r inducted in every TV channel,newspaper etc.all r responsible for 4000 killed in 45 months and 400 hundred in inand half month.LR=ET SCP TAKE SUO MOTO NOTICE AND dismiss governments of criminalsm,target killers,bathakhori ruling karachi for 45 monthsand stll MQM daily talking of joing back .they all make foll of people and plunder them to hunger,disease,no riti,no bijli but highrst rates of utilitries and tariihfs,let LIMITED MARTIAL LAW IS IMPOSED IN KARACHI IMMEDIATELY OR pAKISTAN IS A LOST CASE.These rulers have made billion of dollaRS ABROAD AND R NOT INTERESTED TO PUT PUT THINGS RIGHT AS THEY CANNOT THEN LOOT AND PLUNDER,TIME TO THROW THEM ALL IN SEA AND KARACHI tV CHANNELS,dUNYA ETC R BANNED FOR FOREVER.uea.
The suggestion is full merited to register FIE against the names suggested in above comment.I would request CJP-SCP to take SUO MOU notice against PPPZ government and should have no mercy for MR Zardari-Chairman PPP and his coalition partners MQM,ANP,MLC responsible for killing of thousand of innocent poor people of Karachi,Never once a target killeror bathakhor was prosecuted but hundred s of thousands cases buried under the carpet of 'mumafti politics' of infact of target killings,billion of dollars bathakhori,looting,plundering national economy,state corporation,national exchequer and 16.5 crore poor,safaidposhs.SCO-CJP has duty to Allah and people to address the issue now and mercilessly pursue against the predators,perpetrators of national tyranny ,anarchy,bloodbaths,plundering national exchequer by 20000 billion rupees in 46 months or Allah will hold them responsible for their failures to Fulani their duties.
I hope everyone and anyone that has to do with this violence and killings .. All die burned alive .. In front of the family’s who have been hurt .. All of them die in a brutal way and god make reservations in he’ll for them .
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