HYDERABAD: At least one person was killed and about a dozen wounded amid a shock, panic, confusion and chaos in almost all cities and towns of Sindh caused by the report about Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain’s arrest in London in connection with the Scotland Yard police investigation into the allegation of money-laundering against him.
There were reports of firing into the air in the urban areas of the province as soon as the news aired by TV channels spread like a wildfire across the country.
Most business centres, commericial outlets, markets, bazaars, offices, shops and vending stalls in the cities and towns of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, Badin, Sukkur and Sanghar districts were shut down in panic and fear on Tuesday afternoon when the news was aired.
Large groups of MQM activists led by their respective district, zonal, sector and unit leadership staged sit-ins on roads and other open places in almost every small and big city and town in line with the appeal from the party’s central leadership.
Sanghar
An MQM activist lost his life and three other persons, one of them a passerby, received gunshot wounds in a similar incident of firing in Sanghar city. The activist was among a group of MQM activists forcing shopkeepers to pull down the shutters in a locality, witnesses said.
Three persons received gunshot wounds in different areas of Hyderabad as Kohinoor Chowk, Gari Khata, Site, Latifabad and some other localities reverberated with gunfire sound intermittently.
It was not known as to who fired shots on the activists. One of the wounded activists, Fayyaz Ahmed Yousufzai, succumbed to his wounds while he was being taken to the Nawabshah Civil Hospital due to his critical condition. The other wounded activists were identified as Qmar Siddiqui and Fareed Qureshi and the passer-by as Ghaffar Burdi.
Sources in the Liaquat University Hospital confirmed that Bilawal Ali received bullet wounds on his shoulder in the Cloth Market area, Faizan Masood in his skull in the Site area and Noor Daraz sustained bullet wounds near Resham Gali.
Some miscreants smashed windowpanes of buses near Pathan Colony. They burnt old tyres at Hyder Chowk, Kohinoor Chowk, Hirabad, Tilak Incline, Station Road and Latifabad areas.
Gridlocks were witnessed on almost all roads and thoroughfares of the city as people tried to rush back home in panic due to fear of violence. Crowds of people thronged grocery and other shops to buy items of daily use anticipating a prolonged shut-down.
The roads and streets wore a deserted look a few hours later.
Nawabshah
Nawabshah city and several other towns were closed in fear of violence as soon as the news Mr Hussain’s arrest was aired.
All main markets and bazaars were closed and vehicular traffic disappeared from roads.
Incidents of firing into the air were reported from different parts of Nawabshah city but there were no casualties.
Similar was the situation in Daur, Sakrand and several other towns.
Mirpurkhas
The news about arrest of the MQM chief in London was received with shock and grief by the local chapter of the party as MQM activists took to the streets to register their protest.
All markets, bazaars, shopping centres and fuel stations were closed and shocked youths burnt old tyres in the streets to vent their anger over their leader’s detention.
Public and private vehicles went off the road for fear of violent attacks causing great hardship to the people who were away from their houses.
A large number of MQM activists gathered outside their party’s zonal office and vowed to offer any sacrifice to save Mr Hussain.
Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2014