KARACHI, Oct 5: Violence erupted in the city on Friday in the aftermath of Thursday’s attack at an Imambargah in Mehmoodabad in which six people were shot dead by unidentified assailants.
Enraged youths attacked a mosque, set a vehicle on fire and damaged several petrol pumps, showrooms and vehicles in different parts of the city on Friday. A passenger bus (JA-8886) was set ablaze at Numaish Chowrangi. The bus was gutted before the arrival of fire tenders.
Police and rangers resorted to heavy aerial firing and shelling on protesters when they tried to attack Madina Masjid near Kalapul. The protesters were returning after attending the funeral prayers of those killed in Thursday’s incident, at Defence Imambargah. Police arrested more than 300 protesters.
The protesters also pelted a showroom with stones before hurling stones on the mosque, where a security guard opened fire at the protesters.
Police claimed to have arrested the security guard immediately after he fired at the protesters. Rangers and police also baton charged the protesters injuring scores of people.
Earlier, enroute to Defence Imambargah to attend the funeral prayers different processions, mainly comprising enraged youths, coming from various parts of the city, damaged several petrol pumps, shops, showrooms and stationary vehicles on their way.
Protesters damaged an automobile showroom also on main Korangi road. Police resorted to shelling on Shahrah-i-Quaideen and in Defence to control enraged protesters.
The bodies of those killed at the Imambargah in Mehmoodabad were brought to Defence Imambargah in processions.
Bodies of Gulzar Husain, 28, and Arshad Gulzar, 18, were taken to Chakwal for burial. The body of Ghulam Rasool, 38, was taken to Baltistan.
The body of Wasim Saeed, 7, was taken to Bahawalpur. Faizan Nasir, 18, and Raza Zaidi, 55, were laid to rest in Karachi.
The chief of the Jafferia Alliance, Maulana Abbas Kumaili, claimed that three of their injured youths were dragged into the locality where Madina Masjid was situated.
Earlier, it was decided that the funeral of the six persons would take place at Mehfil-i-Shah Khurasan, but after talks between the Alliance and the city administration late in the night, the venue was changed.
Police interrogated two officials of the KESC operation control room in Mehmoodabad in connection with Thursday’s attack at the Imambargah.
Police released the two officials after questioning them, a duty officer at Mehmoodabad police station said.
KARACHI, Oct 5: Violence erupted in the city on Friday in the aftermath of Thursday’s attack at an Imambargah in Mehmoodabad in which six people were shot dead by unidentified assailants.
