 |
| |
WEEKLY
SECTIONS |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| 14 more killed in Karachi violence Over 1,000 vehicles torched in three days; four fire stations damaged |
 |
 |
 |
Sunday, December 30, 2007
By Salis bin Perwaiz
KARACHI: Violence continued to grip the city on the third consecutive day on Saturday with 14 more deaths while hundreds were injured in separate incidents and shops, banks, factories and vehicles were torched. Four fire stations were also damaged with the Fire Office facing stiff resistance from miscreants in fighting fires.
In Lyari and Keamari towns, 10 people were killed in firing by miscreants. Later, the Rangers and the police cordoned off the Lyari Town. Till the filing of this report, exchange of fire between the law-enforcement agencies and the miscreants was continuing.
People faced problems in purchasing food as supplies ran short because of the shutdown and those having vehicles faced shortage of fuel due to the continued closure of petrol and CNG stations.
Lyari and Landhi towns were the most badly affected areas in Saturday’s violence.
During the past three days of lawlessness, more than 1,000 vehicles, which include trucks and trailers, more than 20 banks, 15 factories and more than 20 petrol pumps have been burnt. More than 30 people had been killed in violence on Thursday and Friday.
After the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the businesses and offices remained closed due to which the country faced loss of billions of rupees. There was little activity at the Karachi Port.
According to Edhi and hospital sources, 10 people were killed in Lyari and Keamari towns by miscreants. Javed and Mohammed Younus were shot dead by miscreants in Chakiwara police limits, Badaam Shah and Hanif in Agra Taj, Rashid in Mauripur while Babar Khan was killed in Mohammedi Colony Docks police limits. Two dead remained unidentified.
Some miscreants entered Lea Market, robbed and torched two rice godowns and upon resistance, shot and killed Ashraf. An unidentified 10-year-old boy was shot dead by miscreants near Hanafia Mosque, Agra Taj, Lyari. Usman was killed in Awami Colony, while Rehmat was killed near Juna Masjid, Kalri police jurisdiction. The body of Mohammed Rafiq with bullet wounds was found in Bilal Colony police limits. In Orangi Town Sector 5, miscreants torched a petrol station and also opened fire, killing Zafar, 27, and injuring two others.
Four fire stations were damaged by miscreants in Korangi, Landhi, Lyari and the Fire Emergency Centre at the Civic Centre. The miscreants also damaged two fire tenders.
According to Fire Office, the department is facing problems in reaching the fire-affected sites due to attacks on fire tenders by the miscreants. “We need protection from the law-enforcement agencies to reach the affected sites,” an official said.
He said fire brigade could not reach the Lakson Tobacco factory and a CNG filling station in Korangi Industrial area late Friday due to security problems. The official said the fire tenders were sent a couple of times to this site but they returned due to violence in the area. Security protection was available on Saturday morning and fire tenders had reached the two sites and were busy in controlling the fire, he said.
Sepoy Baaz Khan, 33, of the Pakistan Rangers (ASGR-Lyari) was brought with injury on hands to the Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC). Hospital sources said the condition of Baaz Khan, a victim of gunshot, was stable.
According to Civil Hospital sources, Kamran, 18, was brought dead along with 14 injured from Lyari. The injured included Mohammad Nadeem Iqbal (13), Said Jamil (25), Waseem Abbas (18), Tahir Ismail (18), Aziz Hasan (25), Junaid (18), Mani Rosh Haroon (45), Murtaza Siddiq (15), Yasin Zahid (20), Ghulam Mohammad (50), Abdul Ghaffar Khalid (35), Zeeshan Shah (23), Nazim (22) and Dawood Hashim (23).
Munir and Murtaza were injured on Tannery Road, Farooq, Younus and Saleh were injured in Agra Taj, in Nayabad area four persons were injured at the Niazi Chowk, while Jaan Daad was shot at and wounded in Machar Colony. There were several others who were injured in separate violent incidents.
The miscreants damaged a bank in Gul Mohammed Lane but the police foiled the robbery bid and arrested some suspects. In another incident, the miscreants tried to rob a bank in Nayabad and were fleeing with the ATM machine but the police and rangers reached the spot and after an encounter arrested some suspects.
In Sheedi Village area, some hotels were torched, at Attah Chowk a travel agency was torched and in Korangi a flour mill was burnt.
In Baldia Town, four trailers were burnt, two of them on the Northern Bypass. Eight shops were set ablaze in Light House area, in Dhabeji a jute mill was set on fire, 13 trailers were torched from Chamra Chowrangi to Bilal Chowrangi in Korangi Industrial Area and also two trucks and two minibuses were burnt. In New Karachi, a towel factory was torched,
The Sindh home minister, giving details of three days of violence in Sindh, said throughout Sindh, 37 police stations were attacked, 131 banks and 31 petrol pumps were set ablaze and government buildings and properties were made target. In Karachi, he said, about 13 banks and vehicles were burnt while 19 people, including two policemen lost their lives and 37 people, including six policemen, were injured.
When contacted Capital City Police Officer Azhar Ali Farooqi said the situation had come under control late on Saturday evening, and during their three-day raids, the Karachi police had arrested 300 anti-social elements and separate cases were lodged against them for rioting, arson, police encounters, attempts at murder, murder, and damaging public and private property.
CCPO Farooqi added that so far about 13 banks were burnt or robbed, 15 factories, 10 petrol pumps, and more than 700 vehicles were torched. However, to control the situation the police were on high alert and maximum patrolling was carried out in the city, mostly in the affected areas, to control the situation.
Captain Fazal of the Pakistan Rangers Sindh said on the directives of DG Sindh Rangers, helpline centres had been established at the Rangers headquarters and its various wings spread across the city with the prime aim to facilitate the citizens.
|
|
 |
| Back
| Send
this story to Friend | Print
Version |
 |
|
‘Al-Qaeda, Taliban leaders not in Pakistan’
ISLAMABAD: Strongly reacting to some of the reports of the presence of al-Qaeda and Taliban leadership in Pakistan by the US newspapers and some intelligence agencies, President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday said more |
|
|
Mulla Omar in Karachi, claims WT
WASHINGTON: Mulla Muhammed Omar, the leader of the Afghan Taliban, has fled Quetta and found refuge from the potential US attacks in Karachi with the assistance of Pakistan’s intelligence, the Washington Times more |
|
|
Will PM intervene or will robber barons kill CCP?
By Mehtab Haider ISLAMABAD: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has warned that it will cease to exist and its actions will become invalid in case the government fails to re-promulgate the Competition Ordinance on or b more |
|
|
Eight militants die in US drone attack
By our correspondent MIRAMSHAH: Eight militants were killed and two others injured when a US drone hit a house in the Michikhel area in North Waziristan on Friday, the second such attack in less than 24 hours.
Tribal sources sai more |
|
|
19 militants killed in SWA, Khyber, Bajaur clashes
By our correspondents WANA/BARA/KHAR: Nineteen militants were killed in clashes with security forces in South Waziristan, Khyber and Bajaur tribal regions on Friday.
Tribal and officials sources said five militants were kille more |
|
|
|
Pakistan has nothing to fear from India: Singh
WASHINGTON: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said India is ready to resolve all outstanding issues with the country on the condition that it will not allow its territory to be used against its neighbour more |
|
|
|
Qureshi wants result-oriented dialogue with India
MULTAN: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmud Qureshi said on Friday Pakistan wanted meaningful and result-oriented bilateral negotiations with India.
Addressing a press conference at the airport here, h more |
|
|
|
Only 15 pc believe Pakistan is going right
By Gibran Peshimam KARACHI: Pakistan’s youths are losing confidence in the future and a mere 15 per cent believe that the country is heading in the right direction, while 72 per cent feel economically worse off than a year ago. O more |
|
|
|
Mustafa Jatoi passes away
ISLAMABAD: Former caretaker prime minister Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi breathed his last at the St Marry Hospital in London on Friday after a protracted illness. He was 78.
He leaves behind six sons and three d more |
|
|
|
Slaughter of animals, NRO beneficiaries begins on Eid
By Muhammad Ahmad Noorani ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will soon announce its strategy to deal with the cases which are going to reopen on Nov 28, a NAB spokesman told The News on Friday.
“The NAB chairman more |
|
|
|
WFP, Rescue 15 attacks’ mastermind arrested
By Shakeel Anjum ISLAMABAD: The Capital Police on Friday arrested the mastermind behind the attacks on the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the Rescue 15 offices in Islamabad.
The terrorist, identified as Jamshed Ahmad more |
|
|
|
Mushahid asks Karzai not to allow use of Afghan land against Pakistan
By our correspondent ISLAMABAD: Secretary General Pakistan Muslim League-Q Mushahid Hussain Sayed on Friday asked President Hamid Karzai not to allow the use of Afghan land against Pakistan under Indian designs.
“Pakistan wa more |
|
|
|
No Indo-Pak FMs meeting: Nirupama
NEW DELHI: India on Friday said no meeting had been scheduled between foreign ministers of Pakistan and India in Port of Spain later this month on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting ( more |
|
|
|
US to tighten control of Afghan contracts: Gates
HALIFAX: US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said on Friday that the United States must tighten control of Afghan development contracts as a first step towards stemming rampant corruption.
“The reality is more |
|
|
|
China has stake in Kashmir: Mirwaiz
News Desk HELD SRINAGAR: As he plans to visit China, Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday kicked up a controversy by saying that Beijing has a “direct link” with the Kashmir issue, drawing strong obje more |
|
|
|
Clinton favours Indo-Pak dialogue on Kashmir
WASHINGTON: The United States is encouraging Pakistan and India to resume their dialogue to address Kashmir and other outstanding disputes but any solution must come from the two countries, Secretary of State H more |
|
|
|
Competition Commission forces PIA to fly fair
By our correspondent ISLAMABAD: Silent prayers of many Hajis have apparently been answered as the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has ordered PIA to refund within 60 days the excessive fares charged from the passengers, wh more |
|
|
|
Attack on policemen in Peshawar
By Javed Aziz Khan PESHAWAR: The death toll in the bomb attack on police party in Yakatoot rose to three after a sub-inspector and another cop succumbed to injuries at the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) on Friday as the city mourned more |
|
|
|
‘Musharraf funnelling money to improve image’
ISLAMABAD: Former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf has reportedly funnelled a large amount of money to his former aides in the country in order to improve his image, as he is planning a return to the c more |
|
|
|
Sen Lugar’s wife arrested, charged with drinking, hit-and-run
News Desk WASHINGTON: The wife of Republican Senator Richard G Lugar was arrested in the suburb of McLean on Wednesday night after crashing into a parked car, and she was charged with drunk driving and hit-and-run, the F more |
|
|
|
briefs...
Bombers kill 23 in Afghanistan
HERAT: Bomb attacks on Friday killed 23 people in Afghanistan, a deadly start to President Hamid Karzai’s second term that underscored spiralling insecurity nine years into more |
|
|
|