KARACHI: Eight people were gunned down in Karachi on Tuesday as police and Rangers failed to stem the wave of violence afflicting several localities.

Police said they had found five bullet-riddled bodies stuffed in gunny bags in different parts of the city.

It was perhaps because of the failure of police and Rangers that the Sindh government gave police powers to the Frontier Constabulary, allowing it to carry out raids and make arrests. The Rangers are already enjoying police powers but they have not been able to rein in the killers.

The decision to give the powers to the FC was taken at a meeting jointly chaired by Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

The meeting took place against the backdrop of a warning by Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain to the government to curb lawlessness ‘within 48 hours’.

Mr Hussain said in a statement issued from London in the early hours of Tuesday that if terrorists were not arrested then “the innocent people being made the victims of terrorist attacks would be at liberty to defend themselves and the government shall be directly responsible for the ensuing consequences”. In a bid to restore government’s writ in the troubled areas, themeeting held at the Chief Minister’s House also decided to launch an ‘indiscriminate operation’ against terrorists within 72 hours.

The provincial government also offered a cash incentive to citizens who would share information with the law-enforcement agencies about terrorists involved in target killings.

A citizen giving information about a killer will get Rs5 million and the government would give a cash reward of Rs10 million to a person who captures video clips or photographs of a killer.

The meeting between the federal and provincial authorities and security administration apparently brought some respite for residents of Surjani Town and Orangi Town where three days of violence have left over 50 people dead and forced many families to leave their homes.