Saturday, July 23, 2011

Pakistan News:Violence in Karachi.

Zardari forms body for talks with MQM, others
Nasir Mahmood
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Karachi—President Asif Ali Zardari has formed a four-member committee to restore peace in the metropolis, where 24 people were killed in less than 48 hours.

The committee comprises Federal Minister of Religious Affairs Khurshid Shah, Chairman National Assembly’s standing committee for Interior Qadir Patel, Sindh’s law minister Ayaz Soomro and local bodies minister Agha Siraj Durrani will contact MQM, PML-Q, ANP and PML-F.


The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by President Zardari held at Bilawal House which was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, provincial ministers Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza, Agha Siraj Durrani, Manzoor Wasan, Ayaz Soomro, Sharjeel Memon, Murad Ali Shah and Shazia Marri. The meeting held consultations and discussions on the prevailing political situation and PPP’s relations with the coalition partners. The President directed the party leaders to make law and order in Sindh province their foremost priority and that he wanted to take all the allies along.

The violence led President Zardari to summon Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Hussain Wasan to discuss the situation. The meeting between the two, which lasted almost an hour, ended with a resolve to meet the challenge and take indiscriminate action against terrorists. “It would not be justified to blame anyone for recent violence as I don’t believe in politics of blame game,” the minister said after the meeting.

Meanwhile death toll in shooting incidents during last 48 hours reached to 24. Tension prevailed at Khokhrapar, Saudabad, Majeed Colony and Sherpao Colony areas of Malir and Landhi localities. At least nine people, including a lawyer, were killed in latest gun attack in the metropolis on Saturday while Friday toll was recorded at 15. Tension and sadness gripped Landhi and Malir, where gun battles between two rival groups left over a dozen men killed.

Unknown men opened fire outside Civil Hospital, creating panic amongst the passer by as well as residents of the neighbourhood people including women and children ran for safety after they heard gunshots.

According to reports, unknown gunmen shot and killed an unnamed man and injured two others. Two people, Abdul Bari and Bilal, were gunned down in New Karachi and Lee Market. One man was shot dead in Malir Urdu Nagar while another two persons were killed in Lines Area. In another incident, unidentified assailants killed Advocate Mukhtar Bukhari when he was returning home from office.

Shops and other business establishments were closed, while a thin presence of Police and Rangers mans seen in violence hit areas in Baldia Town. Armed men opened fire at a mini bus in Essa Nagri killing an unidentified man. In Gulshan-e-Maimar, North Nazimabad and Lines Area three persons were killed in shooting incidents. Three persons were injured in firing in Sachal Goth, Pirabad and Gulshan-e-Maimar.

Fifteen people were killed in Karachi on Friday as the Mohajir Qaumi Movement, better known as Haqiqi, attempted to stage a comeback in strongholds of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). City police Chief Saud Mirza on Friday said the violence was sparked when “some men of a group entered Khokhrapar area of Malir and targeted their opponents”.
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