Islamabad, Dec 30, IRNA ,Life began limping back to normalcy Saturday in most part of violence-hit Pakistan barring the volatile southern Sindh province, where sporadic clashes continued in the aftermath of killing of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, PTI reported.
In many cities and towns, people made a beeline for markets to stock up on food and other essentials as some shops reopened after being closed for the past two days since the killing of Bhutto on Thursday in Rawalpindi.
However, shortages of food and fuel were reported from many places. Most petrol and CNG pumps across the country remained closed.
Sporadic violence continued in Sindh, a stronghold of Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party despite the deployment of army in 16 districts of the province. A PPP worker was shot dead Saturday in violence wrecked Larkana, the hometown of Bhutto, as party members roamed through the streets, carrying flags and shouting slogans.
Life continued to be hit in the provincial capital of Karachi, which witnessed the fiercest protests.
Around 10,000 people chanted anti-government slogans while holding prayers for Bhutto in the city of Lahore. Seven workers of a garment factory, including a woman, on the outskirts of Karachi were burnt alive when an armed mob torched the unit Friday. The dead workers were trapped inside the factory by the blaze, police said.
More than a dozen people, including policemen, were killed in incidents of firing and over 425 vehicles were burnt by the protestors in the southern port city alone.
Six persons were injured today in firing in Lyari, a locality in Karachi. Roads in southern Sindh province were littered with burning vehicles, smoking reminders of the continuing chaos.
Thousands of Bhutto supporters went on a rampage in the garrison city of Rawalpindi near Islamabad after prayers for the slain leader, smashing property and clashing with police who fired tear gas to control the crowd.
The government Friday issued “shoot’-to-kill” orders to the paramilitary Pakistan Rangers in Sindh province and deployed the army in Punjab and Sindh to aid the civil administration in maintaining law and order.
Many PPP leaders visited Bhutto’s grave at her family mausoleum in Garhi Khuda Buksh to pay their respects and then travelled to nearby Nau dero village to offer condolences to her husband Asif Ali Zardari and her children.
Most markets in Karachi had stocks of pulses, poultry items and vegetables sufficient to last only one or two more days. There were some incidents of arson in Karachi where some shops were gutted.
In Hyderabad two protesters were injured in police firing as they tried to set afire tyres to block the roads while peaceful demonstrations were witnessed in Peshawar.
The situation in Lahore and Islamabad too slowly returned to normal as shops in many parts of the cities reopened though petrol pumps were closed.
After remaining indoors for the past two days, people cautiously ventured to markets to buy food, vegetables and fruits though all items were in short supply.
People also faced problems as banks remained closed across the country. Officials have said over 200 bank branches had been burnt and damaged in the protests.