KARACHI, 13 May 2004 — Seven people were killed and dozens wounded in large-scale violence yesterday during by-elections in Karachi, police said.
Soldiers and paramilitary troops were deployed in an attempt to halt the violence and arson in working-class districts in the central and western parts of the city.
But clashes mainly between armed militants belonging to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) — a key partner in the ruling coalition — and the opposition Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) continued unabated. “The MQM has lost three members and the MMA two,” Karachi police chief Tariq Jameel told Reuters. “Identity of two others remains unknown,” he said.
At least 29 people belonging to the rival political parties, including Benazir Bhutto’s opposition Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), sustained bullet wounds, police said.
At least five vehicles were set ablaze, police said. “But thank God, violence has stopped now and the situation is now under control,” Jameel said. The violence occurred during by-elections for three National Assembly seats and one provincial assembly seat.
The elections will not affect the complexion of the government, but they are seen as a test of popularity of the rival parties. The three National Assembly seats fell vacant as the MQM asked its lawmakers to resign on corruption charges. The provincial assembly election follows the murder of a PPP lawmaker by unidentified gunmen a few months ago.
Both parties blamed each other for the violence. “They have terrorized the entire neighborhoods,” said MQM spokesman Kanwar Khalid Younus. “Their militants have been roaming, firing with automatic weapons. We are the victims.”
MMA spokesman Sarfraz Ahmed accused the MQM of trying to rig the elections. “They are attacking our workers,” he said. Sherry Rehman, a lawmaker of Benazir’s party, accused the government officials of massive vote rigging. “In a number of polling stations they are stuffing ballot boxes,” she said.
