Protesters head back as Quetta families bury the victims

Govt extends Rangers powers for another three months.

KARACHI: As the families of the Quetta blast victims started to bury the bodies, the protesters across Sindh also decided to head home.

The city witnessed a deserted look for two days as numerous residents took to the streets in support of the Hazaras, who lost over 80 of their loved ones in a blast on Saturday. Sit-ins were organised in various parts of the city, including the busy thoroughfares, Sharae Faisal and Sharae Pakistan. Traffic resumed, however, by Wednesday afternoon.

The protests were largely peaceful but a few scuffles were reported. More than a dozen vehicles were, however, set on fire. The police also detained over three dozen suspects for attacking law enforcers, and damaging public and private properties.

The highways, which were blocked for traffic for the past three days, also opened up as train and flight schedules also returned to normal.

Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen general secretary, Maulana Sadiq Raza Taqvi, confirmed that all the sit-ins in Karachi have ended. He also paid thanks to all political and religious parties, transporters and the business community for supporting the families of the Quetta blast victims.

Meanwhile, the Sindh government has issued a notification to extend the special powers of Pakistan Rangers to conduct raids, make arrests and interrogate the suspects whenever and where ever required for another three months.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2013.