MIRPURKHAS, Jan 26. Two activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement suffered bullet injuries whereas offices of the Sindh People's Students Federation and two union council naib nazims were torched and ransacked as violence erupted here on Tuesday night in the wake of custodial death of a man.

The custodial death of Abu Bakar Panwhar led to a dispute between activists of the MQM and SPSF after the latter resorted to aerial firing in the city to force shop keepers to close shops.

A group of people caught hold of some SPSF activists in Hameedpura Colony, who were allegedly involved in firing and handed them over to the Town police. However, they were released after some hours which led to the firing incident in which MQM activists Mohammad Azhar and Mohammad Aslam sustained bullet injuries and were shifted to the Civil Hospital.

Shortly afterwards hundreds of MQM workers, led by party's zonal in-charge Saleem Razzaq and MPA Ponjomal Bheel, reached the hospital. The Town police registered a case on complaint of Farman under section 324, 147, 148, 149 and 504 of the PPC against SPSF city president Junaid Buland and activist Farooque Chishti, Naib Nazim of UC-1 Jehangir Mughal, Kamran Shah and Yousuf Qureshi.

Police raided different places and arrested Mr Chishti, Mr Buland and Mr Qureshi. Unidentified people ransacked office of the SPSF. A mob attacked offices of Mr Mughal and Naib Nazim of UC-4 Zakir Hussain and set furniture ablaze.

Rangers had to be called in the city to bring the situation under control. Mr Panwhar was buried in the Fauji graveyard and the burial was attended by thousands of people, including his relatives and friends and office- bearers and workers of the PPP.

Senior surgeon of the Civil Hospital Dr Mohammad Haneef Awan, who had conducted autopsy of Mr Panwhar's body, told this correspondent that torture marks were visible on the body.

Heavy contingents of police were deployed at different places in the city where tension prevailed. On Wednesday morning, bazaars and shopping centres remained closed. However, the zonal in-charge of the MQM with police got the shops and markets of the city opened, holding out an assurance to shopkeepers that they would be provided protection.

MPA BOOKED: PPP MPA Shamim Aara Panwhar, her husband Gulzar Panwhar and three party activists have also been booked under section 341, 147, 148, 149 and 337 (G2) of the PPC, according to police sources.

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