KARACHI: Three persons were killed — two by Police firing — and at least 25 injured, 14 of them admitted to the hospital when violence broke out in different parts of the City yesterday [Feb 17].

As a result the Army was called in to assist the civil administration. It took charge of the situation in Liaquatabad, as well as other parts of the City. ... Police repeatedly used tear gas to disperse crowds in various parts of the City and also resorted to lathi-charge. They detained a number of persons in this connection. The exact number of the arrested was not available.

The trouble yesterday began when a primary Muslim League office was damaged by a section of the procession of Mr Z.A. Bhutto which was coming from the Karachi Cantonment Station in the early afternoon. It was 3-30p.m. when groups of people sitting on top of the KMC shops and the adjoining mosque in Empress Market started throwing stones at the advanced section of the procession which immediately retaliated. Almost simultaneously, fruit stalls and push-carts of the market were seen in a thick cloud of smoke. Several dozen persons armed with sticks, knives and lathis were also seen chasing the procession and hurling stones from all directions.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2019