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Tension
grips city after Lahore blasts
Karachi
The fallout of the blast at a mosque
in Lahore on Friday reached Karachi after the violent reaction of
activists of a religious group resulted in injuries to at least 14
people. The activists of the religious group resorted to aerial
firing in various parts of the city and also forcefully ordered
closure of shops.
At last report police and Rangers had
detained 13 people in connection with the violence. Three were
detained in Lines area by the Rangers for forceful closure of shops.
Three suspects were detained in Kharadar for aerial firing and
forceful closure of shops while seven others were detained in North
Nazimabad for the same offence.
A minibus of route T3 was set ablaze
at near the water pump roundabout, while cases of aerial firing were
reported in the area as well.
After Friday prayers, when the news
spread about the killing of renowned religious scholar Mufti
Sarfaraz Naeemi in Lahore, various areas of the city, inlcuding
important business spots, saw a rise in tension with all shops being
closed after incidents of aerial firing. These areas included parts
of Lyari, Saddar, Bheempura, Lines Area, M.A. Jinnah Road, Jama
Cloth Market, Kharadar, Mithadar, Burns Road, Nishtar Road, Orangi
Town, Gulshan, Hassan Square, Tariq Road, New Karachi, Landhi, Malir,
Korangi, SITE, where all shops were closed in fear.
Karachiites working in offices after
hearing the rumours left their offices and rushed home, resulting in
incidents of traffic chaos on major thoroughfares of the city. Life
in the city came close to a standstill for a while. Due to the
adverse law and order situation in the city, many petrol pumps in
Saddar, Sharea Faisal and MA Jinnah Road were closed.
Among those injured in the spate of
aerial firing, was Taza Gul who as injured near Mereweather Tower,
Kharadar. Mohammed Saleem was injured near Gillani Centre, Faisal
was shot at near Nalla Stop, New Karachi, while Imran and Yaqoob
were shot and injured by armed men in Lines Area and Jacob Lines of
the Brigade police limits.
In other incidents of violence, armed
men resorted to aerial firing in areas of Baldia Town, in which
eight-year-old Akber was injured. In Orangi Town, while armed men
were forcefully closing shops, a shopkeeper, Jatoi, resisted and was
shot and injured. In New Karachi Industrial Area, 11-year-old Osama
was injured in aerial firing. In Nayabad of the Baghdadi police
limits, armed men resorted to aerial firing in which Shakeel was
injured.
Nineteen-year-old Noman was injured
by the firing of armed men in North Karachi, in the Sir Syed police
limits, while Ghulam Mustafa was shot and injured by armed men in
Sector-12A, Orangi Town. Nasir Khan and Rizwan were shot at by armed
men in Rizvia, while Abdus Samad and 10-year-old Mohammed Shahzad
were shot and injured by armed men on Business Recorder Road, Patel
Para.
The violence also gripped the area of
Jehangir Road where armed men resorted to aerial firing and torched
a taxi.
Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza,
while condemning the suicide bombings at Jamia Naeemia Lahore and at
Nowshera Masjid, said that public cooperation was essential for
peace in the province.
He advised the citizens to remain
alert against terrorists and immediately inform the centres of
Madadgar-15 or the nearest police station, SSP offices or CPLC on
5682222 in case they spot any suspect or suspicious activity, or an
unidentified packet or parcel, abandoned vehicles particularly at
crowded places. Mirza directed the police to further tighten the
security at sensitive places.
The tension in the city increased
after reports of a strike call, in protest against the Lahore
bombing, for today got around. —SBP
The News: Saturday, June 13, 2009
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