Karachi starts limping back to sanity

KARACHI: A semblance of sanity blessed Karachi on Saturday after Rangers ‘took over control’ of Qasba Colony — the neighbourhood which grabbed headlines over the past four days as faceless fanatics went on an orgy of killings that left over 90 people dead. Traders and transporters took courage in their hands and resumed their activities in the affected areas, bringing some relief to a besieged populace. A statement issued by the Rangers said the paramilitary troops took positions in Qasba Colony and adjoining areas on Friday night and completed the operation on Saturday afternoon. “During an operation conducted by the Sindh Rangers’ six wings and commandos, the troops cleared the area and rescued affected families. The affected areas are now under Rangers’ control and peace has been restored,” it added. Isolated incidents of armed and arson attacks early in the morning claimed two more lives, including an activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), and damaged four shops in different parts of the city. Interior Minister Rehman Malik and newly-appointed Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Hussain Wasan visited Qasba Colony and Kati Pahari in the evening. Senior MQM leaders, led by Dr Farooq Sattar, came next. Both sides met locals and expressed their resolve to restore peace and harmony. Talking to reporters at the Central Police Office, Mr Wasan said an action against “terrorists and anti-state elements” was under way in Kati Pahari, Qasba and other strife-hit areas. He called upon all parties, including the MQM and the Awami National Party, to “work for peace”. The interior minister said intelligence sources had revealed that some terrorists were operating on the directives of those already in jail. “We are trying to trace their communication system,” he said while talking to reporters at Kingri House, where he called on Pakistan Muslim League-F chief Pir Pagara for winning his support for ongoing efforts by the government for restoring peace in the city. Mr Malik said the areas around Kati Pahari were also gradually coming under the control of Rangers and police. He said people who had left their homes had started returning and were being provided relief by government functionaries. Besides Rangers and police, 250 personnel of the Frontier Constabulary had been deployed and more were on their way from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said, adding that ‘87 terrorists’ had been arrested in the troubled areas. The minister said terrorists were using children and the elderly as human shield. He said Rangers would stay in the area until peace was restored. The president and the prime minister had given instructions for “zero tolerance” in the action against terrorists, Mr Malik said. “I am in touch with leaders of the MQM, ANP, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam and Pir Pagara and all of them have supported the government’s efforts to restore peace.” Mr Malik accused some politicians and media persons of whipping up sentiments.He also took exception to criticism of the Army, Rangers and police.