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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Brownturbans shut down Karachi |
| 2004-06-05 |
| One man was killed and 12 others, including four policemen, were injured in Karachi on Friday during a strike called by the MMA against the assassination of Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai and the bomb explosion in Imambargah Ali Raza. Two vehicles were also set on fire in the evening. At least six policemen and an equal number of people were injured when mobs attacked Pirabad Police Station in the western part of the city. âThe mobs attacked the police station, which left the police with no option but to fire teargas on the protestors in self-defence,â Imran Shaukat, head of the SITE Town police, told the Daily Times. He said the mobs broke into the police station, damaged two police mobile vans and three private vehicles and pelted the policemen with stones. Though police officials denied firing directly into the mobs, bullets injured six people who were also hospitalised. Witnesses said the police opened fire and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the rioters. People barricaded the road leading to the Super Highway. Mostly residents of Afghan refugee camps, these rioters did not allow police and law enforcement agencies to clear the route till late evening. All bazaars, business centres, educational institutions remained closed while attendance in offices was minimal. Public transport did not run while only a few private vehicles were plying the roads. The city police chief, Tariq Jamil said there were sporadic incidents of violence but the city remained calm. He said 18,000 police and paramilitaries were deployed in sensitive localities of the. âWe have intensified our patrolling and are carrying out aerial surveillance,â Mr Jamil said. The strike was effective in all parts of the city, regardless of the party affiliations of the inhabitants. The former District Central, a stronghold of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, was completely shut down, including Azizabad where the party headquarters are. The cityâs southern parts, including the PPP stronghold Lyari, were completely shut down. The cityâs eastern and western parts were also closed down. |
| Posted by:Fred |