Karachi suffers night/day of grim violence: 18 killed, 21 injured; 40 vehicles set on fire

The Wednesday night statement by senior provincial minister Zulfiqar Mirza led to violent protests in Karachi and other parts of Sindh, claiming 18 lives. About 21 people were injured while over 40 vehicles were torched in the city. On Thursday, life in the country's financial hub and other parts of Sindh including Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkar, Tandoalayar came to a standstill, where intense firing in air was reported after Mirza's speech at Mardan house against MQM.
Social and commercial activities, which usually continue in the city till late night, were suspended following the statement of Dr Zulfiqar Mirza was aired by different TV channels on Wednesday night. The city echoed with gunshots till Thursday evening, which left 18 persons including a cop and a Ranger personnel dead and 21 others injured.
The MQM had announced to observe countrywide protest on Thursday against the statement of Mirza. Following the protest call, charged protesters took to streets in Karachi and parts of Sindh and Punjab chanting slogans against Zulfiqar Mirza. All major markets in the city remained closed. The public transport was off the road, which created immense difficulties for commuters in reaching their destinations.
Fuel and gas stations across the city remained closed. In the absence of goods carriers, the import cargo could not leave the port area and no export cargo could reach at ports as transporters were reluctant to ply their vehicles on the city's roads. Protestors took to main roads and streets in different areas of the city, who burnt effigies of Zulfiqar Mirza and Shahi Saeed to vent their anger over the statement. At least 18 persons including a police constable and a Ranger personnel were killed by unknown miscreants while 21 others including two cops were injured.
DIG Saud Mirza while confirming the casualties said that police had arrested 161 miscreants from different areas of the metropolis and recovered arms from their possession. Following the unabated violence and arson, President Karachi Transport Ittehad Irshad Bukhari and the business community announced to shut their activities on Thursday.
A protest rally came under attacked in Baldia Town where two people were shot dead and many others injured. A personnel of Sindh Rangers was gunned down near Maskan intersection, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, within the remits of Mobina Town police station. A woman, who was standing at her balcony, was hit by an stray bullet at Hussainian area in the jurisdiction of Azizabad police station.
A cop, who was identified as Aftab, was shot dead near Jamia Milia. Another man, whose identity was yet to be ascertained, was killed near Habib Bank Chowrangi in the limits of Site A police station. One Asif Shah, a watchman of under construction house, was killed in Gulshan Maymar. Five more persons fell prey to targeted killing at Jinnahabad, Tariq Road area, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Lea Market, Lyari and Abdullahbad, Sarjani Town. Dozens other sustained bullet wounds in different areas of the city and were shifted to the different hospitals.
Over 40 buses and other vehicles were torched by unknown miscreant in different areas of the city including North Nazimabad, Mohajir Camp Baldia, Nazimabad, Korangi areas, UP More, Bilal Colony, FB Area, Saddar, Sharifabad, Power House, Nipa Chowrangi, Landhi, Shah Faisal Colony, and Sharah Pakistan. Meanwhile, provincial Home Minister Manzoor Wasan and IG Sindh Wajid Durrani took notice of Maripur Road incident wherein eight protesters were wounds in indiscriminate firing by law enforcers. Later, one of the injured protesters succumbed to his injures during treatment. Wasan also disowned Mirza's statement, saying that it was not as per the party policy. He said that he was monitoring the law and order situation.