ISLAMABAD: Violence continued in Pakistan's port city of Karachi and the death toll from the current spate of targeted killings rose to 103 on Saturday, according to officials and media reports.
The increased violence and instability has brought Pakistan's biggest city to a grinding halt. Most of the city's marketplaces, schools and offices were closed and there was hardly any traffic on the roads. At least 17 people were killed in incidents of firing since overnight whereas 30 people lost their lives on Friday.
The metropolitan's Qasba Colony and its suburbs remained the worst affected areas while violence also spread to the southern and eastern parts of the city. As most of the people were staying at home fearing more violence, the residents of Qasba colony and its adjoining areas were forced to flee for safer places.
Spokesman for Sindh Rangers said that personnel of the paramilitary force had helped evacuate hundreds of people trapped in the violence-hit areas.
"We are moving the families to safe places and the exercise continues. Rangers troops helped mainly people in Qasba Colony and adjoining areas," he said.
The government has ordered the security forces to shoot on sight to stem violence in the country's industrial and commercial centre.
"We have issued orders to the security forces to shoot anyone involved in violence on the spot," Sharjeel Memon, the provincial information minister, said.
"To bring life back to normal in the city, we in a joint strategy with Sindh Rangers are planning special arrangements that include security on major roads and regular business of transport and markets," the city's police chief Saud Mirza said.
Karachi's main political party, the Muttahid Qaumi Movement (MQM), which resigned from the government, last week, has called off its protest march but it was not enough to stop the killings.
"People cannot leave their homes. Their food and rations are finishing. We don't see any government in the city. Where shall we go?" said Saleem Ahmed, a resident of Karachi.
Home minister Rehman Malik had said that 250 of the 1,000 Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel being drafted in for deployment in the city on an urgent basis had already been deployed.
Mr Malik said that 89 suspects had been arrested in different areas. "Twelve of them are Urdu-speaking, 19 Pushto-speaking and three Baloch."
He ruled out a military operation in the city and appealed to Altaf Hussain, MQM's chief, and Asfandyar Wali, ANP's top leader, to ask their followers to remain calm and help restore normality.
Malik said that details about hideouts of miscreants in Karachi had been collected through the latest technology. "Modern means are also being used to monitor the situation in the disturbed areas."
The level of violence this week has not been seen in Karachi for quite some time. The targeted killings are widely blamed on armed gangs linked to the city's main political parties, MQM and ANP. The armed gangs were believed to be fighting turf wars for their share of city's resources.
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