Angry mobs in Sindh set fire to at least 30 railway stations, 12 coaches of various trains and nine connecting railways bridges on Friday, forcing Pakistan Railways (PR) to suspended services between Lahore, Karachi and Quetta, Railways sources told Daily Times on Friday.
After Benazir Bhutto’s assassination on Thursday, rampaging mobs set two passenger trains – the Shah Latif Express and Khushal Khan Express – and a number of coaches of other trains on fire.
Around nine connecting bridges near Hyderabad, Kotri, Shikarpur and Tando Jam section were also set on fire.
Mobs also set ablaze more than 30 railway stations in the province, including those in Tando Jam, Kotri, Pind Eadin and Mehrabpur. The historical Jacobabad Junction was also set on fire.
10 stranded: Subsequently, as many as 10 passenger trains could not reach their destinations. After the arson incidents, PR authorities decided to suspend railways services between Lahore, Karachi and Quetta.
However, rail traffic on the Lahore-Rawalpindi, Lahore-Faisalabad, Lahore-Multan and Rawalpindi-Peshawar routes is proceeding according to schedule. PR authorities stopped more than 10 express trains at various railways stations in Sindh to avert untoward incidents, and directed the trains to return to their points of origin.
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