Karachi violence, over 60 dead:
By Express / Gibran Ashraf / Jahanzaib Haque / Shaheryar Popalzai
Published: July 7, 2011
KARACHI: A wave of violence has gripped the metropolis on Thursday, with at least 50 people killed over the last 3 days.
8:15pm
Unknown miscreants reportedly set six motorcycles on fire at a factory in Qasba colony.
Traffic department reports that the heavy traffic gridlock near National Stadium and Baloch Colony bridges is easing. While traffic on M. A. Jinnah road is less than normal.
8:09pm
The Karachi Transport Union has called a strike in the city till the transporters are provided with protection. President of the union, Irshad Bokhari, says the strike has been called after four buses were targeted by gunmen today.
Meanwhile, Presidency’s spokesperson Farhatullah Babar says that President Zardari is gravely concerned about the continuous acts of violence in Karachi. He said the President has summoned a meeting of top level officials to find an end to violence in Karachi.
8:05pm
According to Express 24/7, at least 27 people have been killed in shooting incidents in various areas of Karachi since this morning raising the three-day death toll to 60.
8:00pm
Fuel pumps across the city have shut down causing great difficulty for commuters.
One petrol pump on Khayaban-e-Bahria has been besieged by hundreds of motorists and people seeking fuel in bottles. The pump manager says that the station is almost bone-dry.
Some commuters waiting in line at the pump said that they had been waiting for as long as four hours to top up their tanks, however hundreds of people on foot, carrying bottles and jerry-cans had encircled the lone working pump at the station.
7:50pm
The president of People’s Party’s Karachi division, Syed Najmi Alam, General Secretary and the infromation Secretary Latif Mughal have strongly condemned the terrorist attack on Express television reporters on Thursday. They demanded the government provide security to media-men as well as innocent citizens.
7:35pm
Express 24/7 Reporter Shaheryar Mirza reports 10 killed in firing on a bus in Banaras, two in Qasba, one in Metroville areas of Karachi within the past hour.
7:20pm
President Asif Ali Zardari has demanded a report on the ongoing violence in Karachi.
Five people have been killed as gunmen opened fire on two buses in Banaras colony.
Karachi violence: MQM meeting ends, no strike announced
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) elected representatives will protest against the ongoing wave of violence in Karachi.
MQM Rabita Committee members held a meeting to discuss the ongoing violence in Karachi on Thursday.
Speaking to the media in Karachi, MQM leader Raza Haroon said that the party had taken a number of decisions regarding the inaction over incidents of violence in the city. He said MQM Sindh MPAs will march from Karachi Press Club to the Chief Minister house tomorrow (Friday).
Haroon said the MQM had the option of a strike if the government did not take any action and the situation did not improve in Karachi.
He alleged that security forces were not taking action in areas hit by violence and added that the government was punishing the MQM for leaving the coalition.
MQM protest scheduled
Express 24/7 correspondent, Shaheryar Mirza reported MQM Sindh MPAs will protest outside Karachi Press Club at 3pm tomorrow (Friday). MNAs, MPAs and senators will also protest outside the parliament and the provincial assembly but no date has been given as yet.
Earlier, media reports of the MQM announcing a strike had caused panic across the city, with businesses shutting down and citizens lining up at petrol stations for fuel.
The party has not made any announcement of a strike as yet.
The session was summoned in the backdrop of relentless bloodshed in the city, particularly in localities of Orangi Town, including Gulfamabad, Qasba Colony and the Katti Pahari area.
Violence continues
Eleven people have been killed in different shooting incidents across the city since morning.
Three people were shot dead in Baldia Town, Qasba Colony and Gulistan-e-Johar areas of Karachi. Three others were killed near Makki Masjid in the Garden area.
In the latest episode of violence, two people were killed when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a minibus in Orangi Town.
The Express 24/7 news team was also attacked while covering the situation in Qasba Colony.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik has taken notice of the situation and has sought a report from Inspector General of Police (IG) Sindh. He has also issued directives to deploy more security personnel to violence hit areas of the city.
New security team: Eagle Force
IG Sindh Wajid Durrani has said that a new security force, Eagle Force, will be deployed to the violence hit areas of Karachi.
Speaking to trades at Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI), Durrani said the situation in the city was not satisfactory and security agencies were taking steps to restore law and order.
He said criminal elements were trying to create misunderstanding between political groups.