Lyari operation - Day 4: Over 20 gangwar suspects arrested

Over 20 killed during last four days in Lyari, reside­nts contin­ue to move out of the area.


Web Desk April 30, 2012

KARACHI: The police arrested around 20 suspects belonging to the Lyari Gangwar on Monday during the fourth day of the operation against criminal elements in the area, reported Express News.

The suspects include Javed, Shehzad, Shahid, Rizwan, Riaz, Mushtaq Khan, Abdul Aziz, Asif and others. The police claims that some of them even have bounty on their heads.

The overall death toll during the police operation reached 24 on Monday.

Families from the area continued to leave to move to safer locations as tension prevailed in the area.

Very few police personnel were seen present at Cheel Chowk in the morning, while no senior officers were present to lead them. It has been reported that the senior officials will arrive after attending the funeral of a police officer who had been killed earlier.

Markets in the area remain closed and many homes are reported to be without food, water and electricity.

Police had earlier cleared Nawa Lane and taken control of the area. Police had also claimed that the areas of Afshani Gali, Gul Mohammad Lane and Saifi Lane had been taken under control, but residents have refuted the claim and said that only Nawa Lane and some lanes of Cheel Chowk have been taken under control.

Protestors block ICI Bridge

Police resorted to baton-charging and using teargas after protestors blocked ICI Bridge, causing a traffic jam in the area.

The protestors had gathered on the bridge and were demanding that the operation in Lyari be stopped immediately. Police had let the protestors continue their demonstration for a little while and were forced to resort to aerial firing after they refused to leave.

More police personnel were called in control the situation.

Three killed in Sher Shah firing

Motorcyclists attacked two passenger buses in the Sher Shah area, critically injuring five passengers on board, three of whom passed away before reaching the hospital.

Two of the injured are reported to be in critical condition, and one of the injured has been identified as a police official who was on duty at the time of the incident.

In separate incidents, two coaches and a car were torched near Punkha Hotel.

Nine accomplices of Ahmed Ali Magsi arrested

Nine accomplices of a most-wanted criminal of banned Peoples Aman Committee, Ahmed Ali Magsi, were arrested by the police in the Liaquatabad area of Karachi on Monday.

A huge cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered during the police operation.

SP Special Investigation Unit (SIU) Khurram Waris told the media that a two-hour long operation was carried out at five in the morning in the Ilyas Goth area, and added that two suspects were also injured during an exchange of fire.

According to Waris, the suspects were involved in acts of murder, kidnapping for ransom and extortion, and have also confessed of killing crime branch officer Imran Baloch and his brother Sajjad.

Two Kalashnikov, two hand grenades, six pistols and one repeater was recovered from the suspects, said the police.

COMMENTS (20)

Syed Faisal | 11 years ago | Reply

This operation is being carried out for getting the favor from MQM for the emerging requirement for the election of new PM in the parliament. The problem lies at the heart of karachi. According to the USA peace report as mentioned by Najam Sethi in his program clearly mentioned that MQM has 15,000 armed members can destroy the peace of karachi in short notice and these people has shown their muscles couple of times. I personally read the names of MQM & ANP in the publications of Human Rights watch world wide about the sheer disrespect of human lives. So in this situation if somebody thinks that by doing this kind of operation will solve the law and order problem of karachi, they are severely mistaken.

SK - Salman | 11 years ago | Reply

@Asghar Siddiqui: You are implying that the people who criticized 90's operations against the MQM are now happy that Lyari is being attacked because Lyari is PPP constituency. What about the the gangs in Lyari firing grenades, rocket launchers, and Awans (locally built firearms.) What about 3 out of 4 Armoured Police Vehicles attacked and disabled by these same people. Do you want to cede control to these thugs and lawless bandits because they belong to an area which is PPP's constituency??? Have a modicum of reason and logic in your comment. We have to judge 90's operation and this operation on their own merit. If 90's operations involved lawless thugs and bandits, we must have supported the operation against them then and we must support the Law Enforcement Personnel against these thugs now. It does not matter if they are Baloch, Sindhis, Pashtoons, Muhajirs, or Punjabis. We must speak with one voice and that of Pakistanis. Do not divide yourself on provincial or language basis.

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