Karachi, February 01: Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has sought report from Sindh province government on the fierce clashes between supporters of two political parties in this port city that left about 17 people dead.
Gilani spoke to the chief minister of Sindh province, Syed Qaim Ali Shah late last night and asked him to give a report on the recent incidents of killing in Karachi and on the situation arising out of these incidents, reports said.
At least 12 persons have been killed and over a dozen injured in fierce clashes between supporters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Awami National Party (ANP) here, weeks after political violence claimed over 40 lives. Tensions erupted between workers of the two parties following a clash between their supporters late on Friday night.
In fresh round of violence, five more persons including a woman were killed in different parts of the city yesterday as the police and paramilitary rangers were deployed in heavy numbers to control the situation in the troubled areas, news channels reported. Acts of violence and aerial firing came in from some parts of the city where the ANP, MQM and ruling PPP have strong presence.
All three parties have in the past blamed each other for the target killings of their activists. The reports said that besides the five casualties, 12 others were injured in firing incidents in Orangi town and Qasba colony and were rushed to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and other hospitals.
The fresh round of target killings began after a shootout between two over wall chalking at Qasba colony yesterday.
—-PTI