KARACHI: Two teenage boys were shot at and wounded in a clash between activists of the Pakistan Peoples Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan in New Karachi late on Friday night, police said on Saturday.

The police claimed to have arrested around 30 suspects belonging to both sides.

Both the parties held separate press conferences and levelled allegations and counter allegations, holding each other responsible for the breakdown of law and order.

One of the boys suffered a bullet wound in the head and his condition was said to be critical. A third victim of the clash suffered injuries when both sides pelted each other with stones.

A police officer, who wished not to be named, said that the election offices of both the parties were located in the same area. On Friday night, some PPP workers removed and tore a banner of the MQM-P and this led to a scuffle between them. Later, both sides resorted to aerial firing, resulting in bullet injuries to two boys.

Over 30 activists of both parties picked up in New Karachi

The officer said that the wounded teenagers originally hailed from South Punjab. They were just passers-by and not associated with any party, he added.

Terrorism case against MQM-P workers

The New Karachi police said that PPP worker Mohammed Yusuf lodged an FIR against MQM workers, stating that his party had set up an election office in Sector 11-J, New Karachi, where he and many party workers were present when several MQM-P activists came there and resorted to aerial firing. He said when PPP workers confronted them they extended threats and opened fire on them.

As a result, the complainant stated, his maternal nephew Abdul Rehman, 12, and his relative Aziz Rehman, 16, suffered bullet wounds and were taken to a hospital for treatment.

A case was registered under Sections 147 (rioting), 324 (attempted murder and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act against several named and unnamed MQM-P workers.

Over 30 held

Following the violent clash, the police and Rangers conducted raids in the area and apprehended over 30 suspects, said Central SSP Zeeshan Shafiq Siddiqi.

He said that the held persons belonged to ‘different political parties’.

This was the second violent clash between workers of the both parties. On January 29, a senior worker of the MQM-P was shot dead while a worker of the PPP was wounded in an armed clash in Nazimabad.

MQM-P, PPP trade charges

The MQM-P accused the PPP of “patronising armed gangs” mainly in Central district only to harass voters and other parties’ workers.

“Whether it’s Saeed Ghani, Waqar Mehdi or Masroor Ahsan none of them has any stake or interest in district Central but they are only igniting fire,” senior MQM-P leader Faisal Subzwari told a press conference. “In an organised way, they have very recently patronised armed gangs in New Karachi and other areas to put them against the MQM-P. Because they know that they even can’t win a councillor seat in this district in a free and fair election. So they have decided to harass our workers and voters through violence.”

Later in the day, PPP Karachi president Saeed Ghani rejected the MQM-P allegations and came up with a “charge sheet” against the rival party, demanding a “judicial inquiry” in the two violent incidents of Naziamabad and New Karachi.

“What else one should expect for a fair justice? I ask the MQM-P to demand a judicial inquiry into both the incidents. The MQM hasn’t learned anything despite facing serious challenges within the party.”

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2024