950824

Four killed

in Hyderabad

Four persons including a Rangers sepoy were shot dead while at least 10 others received bullet injuries with arson of four vehicles and a Wapda office, attack on chief minister's special assistant's house, and search and seek operations by the law-enforcers in Hyderabad and Latifabad on the second day of the strike called by MQM here on Thursday.

Complete strike was observed on the seccond consecutive day as all the Bazars, markets, mandis, cinema houses, schools and petrol pumps remained closed.

The Customers Service Centres of Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation also remained closed creating host of problems for the people.

Money transaction also remained suspended in almost all the banks.

The fresh spate of violence is being attributed to the statements of Interior Minister General (Retd) Naseerullah Babar in which he has claimed that the strike had fizzled out and people had failed to respond.

A sepoy of Rangers Mohammad Botta died of bullet injuries in Khata Chowk area while Mukhtiar Shaikh of Shaikh Brothers General Store hit with a stray bullet while standing in the balcony of his third storey flat near Memon Jamat Khana.

Mohammad Yousuf and Mohammad Iqbal also fall pray to the stray bullets in Seja Decoration Lane, Sero Ghatt and New Cloth Market respectively. Rickshaw driver Sardar Mughal who had received severe bullet injuries in Pinjra Poll sucumbed to injuries in Civil Hospital.

Among the ten injured two Tahir and Rasheed who received bullet injuries in Khata Chowk were reported in critical condition.

Javed, in telephone booth, near Bhittai Hospital, Mumtaz s/o Shah Khan in Latifabad Unit No 5, Abdul Waheed in Khata Chowk, Nadeem Sharif and Zahir in Fakir Ka Pir and a minor girl Marrium in Latifabad also received bullet injuries.

Angry youths put to torch three vehicles of Malarial Control Department on Wednesday night in Latifabad while another Suzuki pick-up was set ablaze in Phulleli area.

Few miscreants also resorted to indiscriminate firing on the residence of Special Assistant to Sindh Chief Minister Ellahi Bux Qaim Khani which was followed by the exchange of fire between the law-enforcers and miscreants but no injury was reported in this incident.

Like Karachi, police and Rangers started search and seek operations in Hyderabad and "Ghera" the violence-affected areas of Khata Chowk, New Cloth Market, Sero Ghat, Pinjra Poll and Fakir Ka Pir on Thursday.

In Sukkur, Nawabashah, Sakrand, Tando Allhyar and Mirpurkhas complete strike was, also observed.