KARACHI, Nov 23: An atmosphere of fear and tension prevailed on Saturday in areas dominated by the Mohajir Qaumi Movement as the Muttahida Qaumi Movement staged a comeback in another two “no-go areas” in Malir and Lines Area.

Miscreants torched four vehicles in Korangi and Shah Faisal Colony. Tension gripped Malir in the evening and shops and markets were closed when firing in the air began after Muttahida leaders and activists entered the unit office No 100, in “H” area near Farooqui Mosque in front of Liaquat Market in Malir.

Landhi remained tense in the morning as protesters took to the streets in the morning and lit bonfires against the killing of an activist of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement.

However, the Town Police Officer of Landhi, Raja Ghous Mohammed, said there was no tension or disturbance in his area. “Landhi remained peaceful. Haqiqi workers and supporters attended the funeral of their dead activist who was buried him in a local graveyard.”

An activist of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement, Arshad Mehmood Rajput, 28, was shot dead by unknown assailants outside his house in Landhi on Friday.

Police said Arshad was sitting outside his house in Landhi 2/B Area when two unidentified men, riding on motorcycles, came there, sprayed him with bullets and sped off. The Landhi police registered an FIR against activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

Arshad’s funeral prayers were held on Saturday afternoon in Khalid Shah Colony, Landhi. He was buried in a graveyard in Ismail goth.

Earlier, workers and activists of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement came out on the streets, pelted vehicles with stones and lit bonfires on roads in Landhi causing roadblock and suspension of vehicular traffic.

Heavy contingent of police and Rangers arrived there to control the situation. Protesters also pelted the law-enforcement agencies personnel with stones. Police lobbed teargas shells to disperse protesters, brought the situation under control and cleared the road for vehicular movement.

The TPO Landhi, however, denied teargas shelling, and said the coffin was taken to the graveyard in a peaceful manner and no untoward incident took place in his area.

Sources in Korangi 3 1/2 said miscreants set ablaze two vehicles: a Suzuki pickup and a car. Police put out the fire. Police controlled the area and opened the road to traffic. Resident said intermittent aerial firing continued throughout the day.

Miscreants also set two vehicles on fire in Shah Faisal Colony. Sources in the fire brigade said they dispatched fire tenders to put out the fire. A taxi (JL-2543) was torched near Saba Palace in Shah Faisal Colony No 1 and another in No 5.

In Malir, leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, led by a deputy convener of the MQM coordination committee, Ms Nasreen Jalil, came to the unit office No 100 near Liaquat Market in Saudabad, Malir, under the cover of police and rangers. With their arrival in the area, aerial firing began and shopkeepers pulled down their shutters in the whole of Malir.

The Muttahida entered the Lines Area in the afternoon in a motorcade led by the senior deputy convener of the MQM coordination committee, Dr Farooq Sattar. They opened the unit office No 52 near Ehteshamia mosque, KDA flats. Dr Sattar was accompanied by the MQM’s MNAs and MPAs-elect, besides other office-bearers.