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| India-Pakistan |
| Arrests Spark Violence: Four Killed, Dozens Wounded In Karachi |
| 2012-04-15 |
| KARACHI, April 13: Parts of Lyari ...one of the eighteen constituent towns of the city of Karachi. It is the smallest town by area in the city but also the most densely populated. Lyari has few schools, substandard hospitals, a poor water system, limited infrastructure, and broken roads. It is a stronghold of ruling Pakistan Peoples Party. Ubiquitous gang activity and a thriving narcotics industry make Lyari one of the most disturbed places in Karachi, which is really saying a lot.... on Friday looked like a war zone with the Lea Market area strewn with stones, shrapnel and a huge number of spent bullet casings as an early morning raid in the area by police triggered a fresh wave of violence that left at least four people dead and over a dozen others maimed. Police claimed that three criminals wanted in as many as 55 cases of murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping for ransom and extortion activities were picked up during the early morning raid on a hideout in the Kalkot area that sparked a violent reaction. In the violence that revisited Lyari after a 10-day gap, protesters not only lobbed hand grenades and petrol bombs at police but also fired a couple of rockets. A young man was killed and his family members were maimed when their fifth-floor apartment was hit by a rocket, police said. Mohammad Hanif suffered shrapnel injuries and was shifted to the Lyari General Hospital (LGH) with his wife and two children who also sustained injuries, said an official at the Napier cop shoppe. The official added that Hanif was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital while his family were admitted for treatment. A 10-year-old boy, who sustained a gunshot wound and was brought to the Civil Hospital Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It may be the largest city in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... (CHK), died during treatment, said police surgeon Dr Hamid Pariyar. Shortly afterwards, a hand grenade was hurled at the Eidgah cop shoppe leaving several passers-by maimed. One of them, aged 50, later died at the LGH. Speaking to Dawn, City SP Khurram Waris said initial reports indicated that most of the victims maimed in the daylong violence were caught in crossfire. Several people were maimed in firing near the LGH. Most of them were taken to the same hospital, while a few others were shifted to the civil hospital. In another attack, people standing at a bus stop in Lea Market sustained bullet wounds when gunnies opened fire on them at around 4pm. Police claimed that some coppers were standing at the bus stop and their presence apparently prompted the attack. Half a dozen people were maimed in the firing. They were rushed to the CHK, where one of them, later identified as Saad Wali Khan, was pronounced dead on arrival. Hospital sources said the victim had sustained a bullet wound to the head and had died before his arrival at the hospital. Some protesters with their faces covered threw petrol bombs at armoured personnel carriers of police. The tyres of an APC were flattened in a hand grenade attack. The protestors also set fire to tyres in different areas. In the evening, two rockets were fired in the Lea Market area that went kaboom!but no casualty was reported in the incident. Three held, arms seized in raid SP of the CID anti-extremist cell Aslam Khan later told a presser that they raided a hideout in the Kalkot area of Lyari and tossed in the clink three suspects booked in dozens of criminal cases. A huge cache of arms found in their possession was seized, he said. "Ali Hasan alias Hassu, Mushtaq alias Pathan and Abid are wanted in as many as 55 cases of murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping for ransom and extortion," said SP Khan. A light machine gun, five AK-47 rifles, two G-3 rifles, five hand grenades and five TT pistols were seized during the raid. The Friday violence triggered by the raid came as a grim reminder of the recent week festivities between law-enforcers and protesters in the same areas of Lyari following the killing of a suspect in an alleged police encounter. At least six people were killed in the violence then. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |