The situation in Karachi began to move towards normalcy on Saturday as paramilitary troops deployed across the city, but another 11 people fell prey to somewhat abated targeted violence that has gripped the provincial capital for days, claiming 98 lives according to official figures.
Rangers launched operations in the embattled city on Saturday with particular focus on Orangi Town, where most of the violence has been concentrated in the last few days. In a 14-hour operation in Katti Pahari, Frontier Colony, Bukhari Colony, Kasba Colony and Madina Colony, Rangers arrested 150 miscreants and seized huge caches of arms and ammunition.
“More than 100 suspects, many of them with weapons, have been arrested,” Sindh Home Ministry Spokesman Sharafuddin Memon said.
Police, without fuel for most of their vehicles, did not take part in the operation and were stationed only in their areas, however their armoured personnel carriers continued to rescue stranded people from Orangi Town. Later, Rangers took control of the town and evacuated stranded citizens and supplied food to many previously no-go areas.
Another 11 people were killed early on Saturday in targeted violence in the city, including a Jamaat-e-Islami activist and a policeman. The death toll from the last five days of violence has reached 98, but no deaths were reported since the wee hours of Saturday morning in a sign of calm finally returning to the troubled city. Shops started reopening and public transport returned to the roads, though people were still cautious. New Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wassan said he had “no magic wand to improve law and order in Karachi”, and he needed to be given time to bring peace to the city.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rehman Malik arrived at Kingri House to meet Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) chief Pir Pagara. Later in the day, the PML-F announced it would now sit on government benches in the Sindh Assembly because its demand for the restoration of the commissioner system had been accepted.
Discussing the Karachi situation with Rehman, Pagara said that the army needed to be called in order to bring peace to Karachi. “Everyone should keep in mind my prediction that if the condition is not normalised here, a general like Zia (former military dictator General Ziaul Haq) will come,” he said.
Rehman said the army could be called to Karachi at any time if need be, but at this stage there was no need to call the army to the city. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Malik said 250 Frontier Corps (FC) personnel had reached Karachi while another 750 were on the way. FC would be deployed in troubled areas of the city to maintain law and order, he said. He hinted at an operation in the jails of Karachi, saying assassins were given targets by those who were currently in prison.
I think this is a temporary pahse. MQM and other fighting groups will not allow anybody sitting in peace.
YES UR RIGHT.
BAN KARACHI TV CHANNELS
In public live speech to MQM people in Karachi on quitting PPP-Z coalition government Altaf Hussein said that it is 'zawal'of this government and one MQM ,MNA warned that 'khuch nehi bacha ga' a covert threat to disintegrate Pakistan if PPP confronts MQM.We saw it in few days more than hundred people were killed and 250 nearly injured.Thousands have died in target killings but never culprits were brought to book despite government claiming to know the culprits,Never ever they were tried in court and for political expediency of coalition of PPP-Z,MQM,ANP ;normalacy gcame after destroying thousand of innocent failies.Normalcy is a fraud .Zulfikar Mirza lists of culprits which he waved must be exposed and trillion of rupees bathakhori recovered.Government should ban ARY,DR Danis,Badami,EXpress,Dunya-Luqman,CNBC-Mujahid BRElvi,iQBAL sHAHZAD, ,,SAMMA- Asma Shirazi , AND SUCH mqm PROMOTING ANCHORS FROM tv CHANNELS TO save people from the MQM poison they spread every day in Pakistan to prove MQM-the angels and wisest.The biggest blackmailers,opportunists,bathakhors,unscrupled.
I AGREE 2000% THAT KARACHI TV CHANNELS AND CERTAIN MENTIONED TV ANCHORS IN THIS NEWS-COMMENT BOX BE BANNED FROM TV TALK SHOWS.THEY ARE THE REAL DEVILS ALWAYS ATTEMPTING TO PROVE MQM AS NOBLE,INNOCENT AND ALL OTHER CRIMINALS WHEN THEY ARE THEMSELVES.
GREAT THINKING YOU JUST BECOME VOICE OF KARACHI PEOPLE BY SAYING THAT BOLDLY, WHICH KARACHI PEOPLE FEAR TO SAY DUE TO THEIR LIFE IN DANGER IF SAID SOME THING LIKE THAT TO BIG BOSS.
For God sake Mr Altaf Hussain give a break to this city whose peace you have held at ransom since decades. You have left the government that is fine. It is your democratic right. You do that but for God sake do not play with the lives of poor people. Stop talking about strikes and stop unleashing your thugs on the streets of Karachi. This is 2011 not 2007 when you masterminded 12th May carnage while sitting in the international secretariat in London. May be for some political expediency the British government let you play with the lives of innocent 50 citizens on the fateful day of 12th May. You can not possibly continue your clandestine policies while sitting in London. The British government must be observing this. If the present government makes representation to the British PM showing all the intelligence reports with graphic details plus already filed dossier on your activities lodged with the Scotland Yard by Imran Khan.
Just give people of Karachi a break. They had enough.
WELL SAID.
If the present government makes representation to the British PM showing all the intelligence reports with graphic details plus already filed dossier on your activities lodged with the Scotland Yard by Imran Khan then you will be bound to be in trouble.
Just give people of Karachi a break. They had enough.
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