KARACHI: The situation in Lyari remained tense for most of Monday as protestors and police clashed at regular intervals throughout the day.
At least seven people were reported to have been killed and over 20 injured, including five policemen, during the clashes. The killed included Ali, a member of the Peoples Amn Committee, and local Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Hassan Baloch. Baloch was reportedly standing outside his house when he was killed as a result of police firing.
The protests were against yesterday’s killing of an activist of the banned Amn Committee, Saqib Pathan, by officials of the Crime Investigation Department (CID). The protestors have been demanding that action be taken against officials who participated in the "fake" operation.
Peoples Amn Committee leader Zafar Baloch has claimed that over 20 people were injured during the clashes. He said that the injured were shifted to Lyari General Hospital and five of them had passed away.
Sporadic incidents of firing were reported from the Lea Market, Cheel Chowk, Tanga Stand and Baghdadi areas of Lyari. SSP CID Chaudhry Aslam was present in the area.
Three hand grenades were thrown and a rocket was also fired at policemen. The attacks resulted in security personnel opening fire and forcing the protestors to retreat.
Armed men have been firing at the police from on top of buildings and in the streets.
The Inspector General of Police (IG) is expected to arrive in the area soon.
The situation remains tense and residents have been asked not to come out of their homes.
Tension in Landhi and Kharadar
Firing incidents were also reported in the Landhi and Kharadar areas.
In separate incidents, unidentified men in the Lasbela Chowk and Nishter Road areas opened fire and forced shops in the area to shut down.
Tension spread across the areas, stretching from Teen Hatti to Ranchore Line.
Station House Officer Jamshed Quarter Humayun Khan said that the incidents were in continuation with the Lyari turmoil.
The assailants fled the scene after the police arrived, while a heavy contingent of security personnel has been deployed to thwart any potential terror bid.
Inquiry called
The Sindh government has ordered an inquiry into the murder of Saqib alias Sakhi Baloch.
Looking at the reaction of the people, the government has ordered deputy commissioner south to look into the matter and report to Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah regarding the murder of the activist and the unrest that broke out in the areas after the incident.
The protestors alleged that the deceased was kidnapped by Senior Superintendent of Police Crime Investigation Departmet (CID) Chaudhray Aslam. However, police said that Sakhi Baloch was a gangster of the area and was a close aide of Uzai Baloch, chief of Peoples Aman Committee and was also wanted by police in many criminal cases.
Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik told the reporters that the deceased was a criminal, but the government was investigating whether he was killed in encounter or it was an extra judicial murder case.
Zardari convenes meeting
President Asif Ali Zardari directed that indiscriminate legal proceedings should be carried out against criminals responsible for wreaking havoc in Karachi.
He said this while convening a meeting on the worsening law and order situation in Bilawal House, Karachi.
President Zardari directed that the law enforcement agencies should deal with the criminals strictly.
Chief minister Sindh, Sindh Home Minister Mazoor Wasan and officials of the home department, police, rangers and intelligence agencies also attended the meeting.
On the other hand, Sindh Governor Dr Ishtarul Ebad is also likely to meet President Zardari to brief him about Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) complaints and their solutions.
It may be mentioned here that a meeting between MQM leaders and Malik was held in the Governor House late Sunday night in which the interior assured them that their issues will be resolved.
COMMENTS (41)
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The fact of the matter is that the turmoil is the result of rascism, hate,greed which started in U.P. & C.P. of India against Hindues is continuing here in Karachi. Panjabis hate Sindhis, Mohajirs hate Balochs & Pakhtuns. They are race to get the "Lion`s share" of corruption.
O.K. if you dislike each other, live alone. Establish your own free countries.
@Nazimabad is the town with lowest crime rate~almost zero across Karachi FYI its Most educated class residence.............[This suburb was named after Khawaja Nazimuddin who was the second Governor-General of Pakistan, and later the second Prime Minister of Pakistan as well]
I went to do my NCC training in govt College Nazimabad. :)
Shame on people who are talking ethnicity when operation is in Lyari and justifyably against the criminals not the citizen of Lyari. When 15000 people were lost, killed and butchered by the same police and rangers, a genocidal operation was started in 1992 and for five years karachi was made a police state. The daily death toll in Karachi during that period was higher then war torned Bosnia where Serbs were killing Muslims and in Karachi Islamic Republic of Pakistan was killing their own Muslim brothers because they had different political views and they were not ready to be bought by ISI.
The solution is to break current provinces into smaller states on administrative criteria. Currently there are 4 tribes fighting with each other on state level which also reflects in cities and smaller areas. This current ethnic divide of land must be replaced with administrative ones.
see until we got out of the policy, why here why not there, we will never see any change, howeve this is a futile effort ,even if the police rangers carry an operation and remove arsenal crimnals ppp will ensure they get back the same and released too. it has been for quite some time that ppp is usinglyari for its underhand deals and the poor people driven by poverty illetracy and loyalty to ppp just get deeper in the pit. yes i am for all operation in all areas irrespective of it being a ppp mqm anp holdout, but we have to start soemwhere and lyari is known for gangwars.
ppp has made lyari into a full arsenal packed, it cant be termed as one isded attack if they are using hand grenades and rockets!! pity the elceted govt shileds them , mainly cox it uses them for its own advantage. amn commitee is actually a org which is known for its crimanal activites but is shielded by ppp.
@Mehran
Are you serious? comparing Lyari with Nazimabad? have you ever been to Nazimabad?
Liyari has become a center of crime because of AMN Committee. People of Liyari got nothing from any PPP government except the Drugs, Weapons and Gangs on the streets of Liyari.... and because of low literacy rate in Liyari they are always in a mess and they do not choose their true leadership than mafia people.....We hope the genuine mature and literate liyarians will make the right decision who they want to elect as their genuine leader in next election to progress rather then rely on fake promises.
@OG: the guy in yellow jacket also :)
let the army come in and see wat happens ! all these terrrorists will drop their weapons
the dude with the teddy panda bear hahah.. CLASSIC!
@Salman Orangiwala: Bro, pls take some time to read wikileaks, JIT reports and SC observations about a party which has the largest number of militant personnel and have accumulated heap of sophisticated weapons? Do you remember MISSING container case filled with sophisticated ammunition, who is/was minister for ports and shipping?Secondly If criminals are in Lyari, what about Azizabad and Nazimabad? Are they holy cow area?
So these guys are hurling grenades and launching rockets at police in the heart of Karachi? Had they been conservatives from K-P they'd be instantly labelled "terrorists", but because they are PPP supporters from an impoverished area of Karachi, the liberals and PPP leadership turn a blind eye to them, or even worse - sympathize with them. Disgusting hypocrisy. Call them what they really are - violent terrorists. No wonder Lyari has been a cesspit for so long.
@zalim singh: That very same article contradicted itself in its contents. If I remember right it ended up as another play by play of the violence starting up again. But, that doesn't really effect what you said. Just an addition.
Lyari unfortunately has been ignored by all govts, thus turning it into a most violent part of this city.With lack of basic amenities and job opportunity local population formed groups.Criminals,drug dealers and arms dealers took control of these groups.So off and on we hear of turf war in the area.The law enforcing agencies at times become helpless because of the political pressure. All credit goes to police for the current operation in the area.
They are protesting with hand greandes and RPG .!!!! Then who the terrorist are ?
the guy shows his privates at 0:14.
Awesome protest.
There was a news headlines saying Karachi returns to normalcy. Why is this bravado? This riots will continue for some time- it looks like.
@Tribune there is some thing wrong with the video. On 00:11 a person with red shirt performing a non ethical activity. Please remove this video!!!
@Qasim what is the connection of your comments with this news?do you know anything about gang war? and fyi among these gang warriors you will find people from all ethnic groups
Rockets, hand grenades....Wow...everyone is intrusted in playing counter strike in karachi, let it be our children or let it be our elders....all are filled up with voilence...no future for us...
Lyari Is A Base Of Terrorist . We Can Watch Easily In Video Just Few Terrorist Protesting In front Of Police. These Terrorist Belong peoples Amman Committe Using Rocket , Petrol Bomb etc..... Torturing innocent Peole Etc CJp Should take Notice
Lyari is a base Of terrorist,
wow! they have rockets as well, I wonder how police will handle these gang warriors
@Mehran what are you trying to prove? and what is the connection b/w your comment with this news?
if we talk w.r.t .Historical view, there has never been any issue between MQM and Lyari..
Congratulations to our ancestors, they wanted to be part of this federation and wanted to bring their fellow Muslim brothers to come and settle with them in Sindh. Most of immigrants came to Sindh, where in freedom agreement 1947 written that Sindh will share the burden of all immigrants. And it seems those brothers consider this land of Sufism and peace as their conquered territory. This land belongs to us as Lahore to Punjabis, Peshawar to Pathans. All other immigrants live with us as brothers with peace, but violent and criminals should be dealt with iron hands.
Lyari is a ghetto and needs to be sanitized. The Aman Committee has turned it into a vice den. SSP CID knows the good guys and bad guys of the city, His actions should be supported by all the peace longing people of Karachi. He is fighting crime. Police must succeed.
This happens when you target a specific community while there are target killers roaming around the entire city. No body will condemn the operation in Lyari, however, what Karachiites need to see is an indiscriminate operation though out the whole Karachi. If the law enforcement agencies conduct operation in Lyari; they should also be doing the same in Azizabad, Liaqatabad, Qauidabad, Banaras, Fronteir Colony and Sultanabad. These are all the hideouts of target killers and extortionists sheltering under the umbrella of different political parties.
The government should not be taking dictation from a political party for "solution" of Bhata Khori and targeted killings.
Like Haji Adeel said the other day; the law enforcement agencies should start deweaponizing operation from Mardan House all the way to Nine Zero. This is the only solution for all this mess.
@Mir: You and others like you have no idea about the dynamics of Karachi...
A lesson for the subborn people of Layari. The PPP never did anything for them, it will never do anything either, still these morons cling on to them. Come the elections, a mere sighting of BBs progeny will kindle sympathies among them.
the Drama liyari operation should be close they just showed that PPP is very much sincere to enforce law and order. if they the sind gov, is really true for it then leaders of gang war which are nominated criminals must be arrested. after one or two days gang war leaders will come in liyari as heroes, on the other hand ANP is giving hand to gang war with disturbing the situation at patel para and kati pahari's area which means miss guide the law enforcement transfer the attention from liyari. to all other parts
Curfew and mass scale search should be conducted in all parts of Karachi. All illegal weapons even if buried underground, should be recovered to protect Karachi from turmoil. PPP ANP and MQM are main problem creator posing as saints. Rangers should be deployed for massive operation and all entry/exit point of city should be monitored to avoid escape of culprits.
is lyari the only place to do operation, what about other places, because lyari is orphaned land of karachi.
All killings and violence for last four days happened in PPP's coalition Partner's constituencies in Karachi, while PPP is conducting operation in their own constituencies against their own people. Lyari is power-hub of PPP but it is made scapegoat to appease MQM. Impartial action against all criminals living in any corner of Karachi should be taken. One sided operation only in Lyari will create more questions marks than solutions.
All is due to MQM's "No Tolerance" policy, actually MQM wants to enter in the lyari and other area, but it doesn't allow others to do politics in its holding areas and made the whole karachi No Go Area.
What is wrong with people in lyari and why are they allowed to mount violent protests against police. If they have nothing to hide they should allow inspection. All the big fish have all their weapons outside the area anyway.
what is it with the layari people? they have grenades, they burn tyres, the beat policemen, Cant they live peacefully ?