KARACHI, April 19: A relative calm prevailed in Lyari for the last two weeks after police action resulting in the killing of three notorious suspects, allegedly wanted in a number of heinous crimes. With the deployment of Rangers, the situation had further eased during the last three days as no sound of aerial firing at midnight could be heard.

Although law and order situation in Lyari started deteriorating in the 80s with the easy availability of arms and drugs, it took a serious turn recently when two rival groups of crime syndicates started targeting members of each other and innocent people.

According to unofficial figures, more than 200 people, including personnel of law-enforcement agencies have been killed in the ongoing gang war.

Among the victims included a prominent social figure of the locality. This raised many eyebrows and forced the authorities to take the situation seriously.

The situation became so panicky that people in some localities preferred staying indoors after sunset.

An affected family which recently shifted to Baghdadi from Kalri said that they had to shift because of frequent incidents of firing and killing which had frightened children who refused to go to school. Gruesome murders make deep impact on the psychology of children.

A schoolteacher admitted that children living in troubled areas fail to attend to their classes whenever a firing incident takes place in their locality.