KARACHI, Sept 11: While the Rangers claimed to have arrested over two dozen suspects in their targeted operations, Karachiites wondered over their delayed response to contain violence that brought the city life to a complete halt first time since the paramilitary force got a lead role in purging Karachi of criminals and terrorists on Wednesday.

Despite the presence of law-enforcement agencies, it appeared that Karachi was left at the mercy of armed men who roamed freely in the city, torched buses and fired into the air to ensure a complete shutdown.

However, a spokesman for the Rangers claimed that it was the paramilitary force that contained the violence from spreading to other parts of the city.

“We have been busy round the clock. Today even our sector commanders were actively involved in targeted operations,” he said. “This is our effort that prevented the violence from spreading to other parts of the city. Several raids were made in the context of the city situation, which led to success.”

The Rangers spokesman said that the raids were conducted in North Karachi, Saddar, Ranchhore Line, Ghans Mandi, Salaar Compound, North Nazimabad and P&T Colony. “During these raids, 12 criminals were arrested. We also removed (CCTV) cameras installed by the criminals in the area.”

In the evening, the Rangers moved to Lyari’s Singho Lane area, said to be a stronghold of the banned Peoples Amn Committee chief Uzair Jan Baloch.

They also raided parts of Mowachh Goth and arrested 14 suspects.

“The Rangers carried out raids in Singho Lane and Mowachh Goth and held 14 criminals and seized illegal arms. The Rangers also removed barriers installed by the criminals.”

ANP man held in police raid

The Karachi police started following in the footstep of the Rangers and carried out multiple ‘targeted operations, and arrested several suspects, including an activist of the Awami National Party (ANP), who is a son of a senior leader.

Though the police authorities remained silent about the political association of the arrested suspects, an ANP spokesman said that the secretary of the PS-91, Jan Nisar Khan Afridi, was arrested in his house in Baldia Town.

“He is also a son of our senior leader Rana Gul Afridi,” he said. “He is an active political worker with no criminal record. We condemn the police move but at the same time we continue our support for the operation in Karachi as we don’t want to politicise this issue. We would not give excuse to wrap up this operation through any violent reaction.”

None held for violence

While the police registered cases pertaining to Wednesday arson attacks in the city, they did not name any individual in the FIRs. No arrest was made.

DIG-East Tahir Naveed said that FIRs were registered in the Sharea Faisal and Zaman Town police stations for arson attacks.

“We are in an initial phase of investigation and gathering facts. We hope to make arrest soon once the investigations are set on a course and then incorporate the name in the FIRs,” he said.