MIRPURKHAS Dec 27: Violence took the city by storm soon after Benazir’s assassination news reached here. She was killed after addressing a public meeting in Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi, on Thursday.
Hundreds of enraged protesters armed with guns and sticks forced the shopkeepers to pull down their shutters, while ransacking and beating those who showed even a little bit of resistant. Angry protesters resorted to heavy firing while burning tyres in different parts of the city.
Violence spread like a wild fire engulfing the entire city and making people hostage in their homes. Absence of law enforcing personnel from the city added fuel to the fire by creating lawlessness. Nawabshah Railway Phatak, Sindhri Railway Phatak, Umerkot Railway Phatak and Hyderabad Railway Phatak were closed by the demonstrators thus stopping the traffic flow.
Traffic remained off from roads giving the city ghostly appearance. However, insignificant number of people who ventured out or were out on streets received injuries with no means to reach Civil Hospital for first aid.
Incensed activists put on fire the electricity poles at Post Office Chowk, Market Chowk and ignited petrol pumps. They broke into some shops located in markets on the M.A. Jinnah Road, plundering whatever they can lay their hands on.
The tenor and terror of the activists whose charismatic leader was wiped out from the face of earth in a blink got drenched in violence. Perhaps, they were venting out their bottled up emotions. Armed men roamed freely and busied themselves in breaking locks of shops and looting.
They set on fire the office of Sunni Tehreek and many shops located in Mohajir Colony Chowk, Hirabad, Walkart, Shahi Bazar, Walkart, Hilal Market, and Municipal Shopping Centre.
Heavy aerial firing reverberated throughout city. Protesters set on fire a vehicle of Nadra parked at Noor Shah Colony and four bogies of Karachi-bound Shah Lateef Express train at Tando Jam Railway Station and 164 Down Hyderabad- bound Express Train. Protesters damaged stationery bogies and harassed people. Staff summoned its police and other officials.
Strikers attacked the Mirpur-khas Press Club Mirpurkhas on Hyderabad-Mirpurkhas Road and the National Press Club Mirpurkhas on Market Chowk. Demonstrators displayed fumes and fury by breaking windowpanes and tearing down posters.
They damaged the National Bank Municipal Branch at Market Chowk while ransacking dozens of shops in Hilal Market and Municipal Shopping Center taking away with them the valuables. Even police were reluctant to enter into troubled areas.
DPO Mirpurkhas, Ali Ahmed Junejo on query as to why police did not come to the rescue of people replied: “People were enraged on the killing of Mohtarma Benazeer Bhutto while police were trying to control situation.”
Umerkot city also experienced heavy aerial firing, loot, plunder and panic and disenchantment among the followers of Benazir Bhutto. People raised slogans against the government and damaged the posters and flags of different parties fixed in the town.
