KARACHI, Aug 24: As people experienced a day of shaky calm in the city, Rangers and police on Wednesday were seen moving into a few strife-hit localities for the first time during the recent violence that claimed over 100 lives within a week.

The law-enforcers moved in the early hours of the day though in a first attempt they returned empty-handed from Lyari after residents, including women and children, took to the streets against what they said repeated operations in the city’s oldest neighbourhood.

“The troops stayed for more than an hour in the area and cordoned off main arteries of the neighbourhood,” said a senior police official.

“Hundreds of charged residents staged a protest demonstration against the planned operation. They burnt tyres and resisted against Rangers access to many areas. The face-off continued for more than an hour before the Rangers finally moved out without executing their plans.”

Sources in the police said no arrest was made during the hour-long exercise in Lyari and the officials did not come up with any reason behind the withdrawal of paramilitary soldiers from the neighbourhood.

Within the next hour, the Rangers and police were seen moving into Qasba Colony, the Kati Pahari area, Muhammad Colony and other parts of Orangi Town.

Though the statement issued by the Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, and a press briefing by a senior official did not provide details of the suspects arrested in the raids, sources in the police and security administration said they included a younger brother of a notorious drug dealer in the area.

Federal Interior Minister Rahman Malik was also seen with the police high-ups in the area for a brief period as the Rangers troops patrolled the affected parts of the densely-populated areas and rounded up a few suspects. Similar scenes were witnessed in the Baloch Para area of PIB Colony, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Pehlawan Goth and Khameeso Goth of Malir.

“A total of 14 suspects were arrested during the nightlong action in different parts of the city,” said a statement issued by the Rangers.

The law-enforcers also seized 79 weapons of different kinds, chemical used in arson activities, documents related to extortion money, drugs, three cars without registration plates and a motorbike from the suspects’ possession.

While the Rangers action came up after strong criticism from political parties, rights activists, the media and other segments of society, many still believed that the government-backed move was eyewash. “I would call it more a photo session than an operation,” said Nazim F. Haji, a former chief of the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee.

“First, the operation against terrorism requires a political will, which unfortunately we don’t see. Secondly, any decisive showdown demands police reforms first and at least appointment of no-partisan officers at the top level.”

However, he said, the police department been politicised and appointment of the top brass on the basis of political loyalty showed that there would be no action, which was required, but futile exercises in line with political interests.