KARACHI, June 2: Amid an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, Karachi started limping back to normality on Wednesday after three consecutive days of violence. Rumours about bomb explosions and target killings circulated throughout the day which restricted the movement of people. Public and private transport remained thin.

Although markets remained open, there were few customers, especially in Saddar. Markets in Saddar, however, closed early in the evening. Shops and markets in various areas pulled down shutters as youths asked shopkeepers to close down their shops as a sequel to the blast on Monday.

In Jaffar-i-Tayyar Society and its adjoining areas, shops remained closed in the day. However, shops reopened in the evening. Similarly, in Khokhrapar, shops and markets remained closed and there was no transport throughout the day.

Tension gripped Ancholi Society where on Tuesday, clashes with police took place and the area reverberated to the sound of gunfire. People in Ancholi observed a complete shutdown and shops and markets remained closed to mourn the deaths on Monday. Youths on motorcycles forced shopkeepers in adjoining localities, such as Samanabad, Gulberg, Al-Noor and Water Pump, to close their businesses. After the closure of markets, the area wore a deserted look, and tension prevailed in the locality.

As rumours about more killings by firing circulated, shops and markets in Kharadar closed and fear-stricken people remained indoors. Streets and bylanes, which usually remain overcrowded in normal days, started wearing a deserted look. Even pushcarts and fruit/vegetable vendors disappeared from the busy streets.

Soldier Bazaar, another commercial area, which often witnesses traffic jams, remained closed. Traffic was thin on roads and streets on Wednesday and uncertainty prevailed in the locality.

People in general think that the situation would further aggravate as it was not a conflict between two sects, but the situation was being allowed to deteriorate deliberately and innocent people were being targeted for no fault of their's.

Bomb explosions at KPT, PACC and Imambargah Ali Raza, besides the assassination of Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai during the past one week have shaken the confidence of the people in the city, in particular, and the country, in general.

The killing of Mufti Shamzai on May 30 triggered violence across the city while the blast at Imambargah the very next day on Monday, killing at least 18 people jolted the city.