70 arrested in violence-stricken Karachi

Karachi, Au 27: Pakistani paramilitary Rangers and police continued their "surgical" operations in the troubled city today raiding more areas and arresting around 70 suspects in efforts to combat ethnic and political violence here that has claimed over 500 lives since July.

Police officials said the suspected criminals and target killers were arrested during house to house search operations from different areas of Pakistan''s commercial hub.

They said a number weapons have also been recovered.

In an interesting development, the Rangers and police also conducted search operation in the congested Liaquatabad area, which is a stronghold of the Mutthaida Qaumi Movement (MQM), a strong political party here.

The government had launched the "surgical" operations, giving special police powers to the Rangers, after more than 200 people were killed in ethnic, political and crime related violence this month. Incidentally, around 325 people were killed in July.

The violence is seen as the worst to hit Pakistan''s biggest city in 16-years time and has led to growing pressure on the government to call in the Army to improve the law and order situation.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said police and Rangers will continue search operations against miscreants until the peace is restored in the city.

He said that Rangers have been empowered to take action anywhere and anytime. He added that the criminals will also be monitored in prisons too.

Malik said the federal government had also approved the deployment of 500 out of the 2,000 requested Frontier Corps (FC) personnel to assist the Rangers and police in restoring law and order. .

PTI