At least 14 killed in fresh Karachi political violence

[News_Editor]

At least 14 killed in fresh Karachi political violence

2011-07-14 21:09:51 GMT+7 (ICT)

KARACHI, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- At least 14 people have been killed in the Pakistani port city of Karachi as violence erupted throughout the city following Zulfiqar Mirza's statements on the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), officials said Thursday.

On Wednesday night, Mirza of the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) said MQM leader Altaf Hussain was "100 times a bigger criminal" than MQM-Haqiqi leader Afaq Ahmed, the Express Tribune reported, which triggered violent outrage throughout the city.

According to reports, 14 people have been shot dead, dozens have been injured, and over 30 vehicles have been set on fire. However, following MQM chief Altaf Hussain's appeal for people to remain calm, reports indicated that Karachi residents began dispersing.

Mirza, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-azam (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Shujaat, acting Governor Nisar Khuro, Senior Minister Sindh Pir Mazharul Haq, Local Bodies Minister Agha Siraj Durrani, PML-Q leader Haleem Adil Shaikh and other senior leaders of the PPP are currently meeting at the Governor House in Karachi to discuss the situation.

Violence spread quickly throughout Karachi's Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Shah Faisal Colony, Liaquatabad, Sharifabad, Azizabad, North Nazimabad, Old City Area, Boulton Market, Burnes Road, Golimar and Pak Colony.

Last week, around 100 people were killed after several days of widespread violence in Karachi. The violence and killings have been largely blamed on rival political parties MQM and Awami National Party (ANP), which represent different ethnic groups, prompting government officials to issue a 'shoot-at-sight' order to security forces.

On June 27, MQM parted ways with PPP after more than three years due to a dispute over the past Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections in Karachi. MQM's split triggered fears of violence, and last week, an opposition coalition against the ruling PPP was formed by rival parties MQM and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

MQM said that the PPP government's "dictatorial and undemocratic" approach prompted its separation from the coalition, and the two former rival parties - PML-N and MQM - set aside their differences and decided to work together "in the best interest of the country," as said by MQM's Haider Abbas Rizvi.

MQM and PPP, led by President Asif Ali Zardari, had previously formed a coalition government in 2008. Earlier in the year, MQM, which has 25 seats in the 342-member Parliament, left the coalition, only to rejoin a few weeks later.

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