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KARACHI, Nov 13: Violence broke out in Lyari on Tuesday as enraged workers of the Pakistan People’s Party took to the streets and youths opened fire on a police station against the government’s attempt to foil the party’s long march planned in Lahore.
As reports of the Lahore arrests of senior PPP leaders reached Lyari, a PPP stronghold, some sections — including Ghas Mandi, Nawa Lane, Kalakot and Baghdadi — appeared virtually closed in the afternoon in the wake of incidents of firing. The protestors burnt tyres on main roads and forced the suspension of traffic in different parts of Lyari while gunshots were also reported. In the Baghdadi area, the police fired tear gas shells when protesters pelted them with stones.
In the evening, at a point when the situation was appearing to resume normality, more than 30 youths armed with TT pistols and AK-47s attacked the Baghdadi police station and fired more than 50 bullets. Police constables deployed at a check post on the roof of the station returned fire, after which the assailants fled.
“Their target was the Baghdadi police station and the SP office which is adjacent to the police station,” said Fayyaz Khan, SP Lyari Town. “The police chased protesters throughout the day and thwarted every bid to disrupt law and order, which may have provoked the firing incident.” He added that the police had neither arrested any suspects nor registered a case since investigations into the incident were still at their initial stages.
PPP activists arrested, released
Meanwhile, 20 women activists of the PPP, including a parliamentarian, were arrested from outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) while attempting to protest against Benazir Bhutto’s house arrest in Lahore.
Assisted by policewomen, the force picked up all the women including MPA Nasreen Chandio. The activists were whisked away to the Artillery Maidan police station.
The police confirmed arrest of the 20 women but denied having registered any case against them. The activists were released later in the day. “They were kept under protective custody and released after a few hours, once the situation became normal,” said Captain (Retd) Tahir Naveed, SP Saddar Town.
However, the PPP claimed that about 250 workers were arrested in various parts of the city, including Lyari, on Tuesday. “Some 250 PPP workers have been arrested in a single day,” said Ejaz Durrani, a spokesman for the party. “The areas where we witnessed brutal police action included Malir, quite apart from Lyari and its adjoining areas.”
