KARACHI, Nov 16: A number of localities in Lyari Town remained tense on Friday as protesting youths burnt tyres and threw stones at vehicles and police fired tear-gas shells at agitators.

The area saw an outbreak of violence with protests by workers of the Pakistan People’s Party against the detention of chairperson Benazir Bhutto in Lahore. The protests have been continuing for four days.

Baghdadi, Hasht Chowk, Nawa Lane and Moosa Lane remained the most affected parts of the town where dozens of enraged youths took to the roads and hurled stones at parked police vans and Rangers mobiles.

The police retaliated by firing tear-gas shells and chasing protesters into narrow alleys. However, no arrest was made on Friday.

Lyari has been in the grip of violence since Nov 13 when the authorities placed Ms Bhutto under house arrest in Lahore in an attempt to stop her from leading a long march on Islamabad.

The protests, however, turned violent on Thursday when two children and a PPP worker lost their lives in heavy exchange of fire between armed groups and police. The police blamed criminal elements for Thursday’s violence but the PPP leadership accused intelligence agencies of discouraging political activism.

Although there was no firing or gunfight on Friday, life in Lyari remained almost paralysed. The police said armed youths, who were scattered on Thursday, were not witnessed on Friday.

“There were teenagers mostly who were not involved Thursday’s fight,” said Fayyaz Khan, SP Lyari Town.