KARACHI, 16 December 2006 — A passerby was killed and several other people were injured during violence in Karachi yesterday, following a protest by local transporters.
Transporters from an ethnic Pashtun group that own and operate most public transport in the southern city, have been demanding compensation from the government for the damages caused to a number of their vehicles during the protests of recent years. The protest kept hundreds of buses off the road yesterday, causing inconvenience to passengers in the city of 15 million. Protesters set ablaze two police posts and three motorbikes at Sohrab Goth.
Wasim Akhtar, a security official for the Sindh province, said police were dispersing protesters when someone opened fire, killing a passerby and injuring some others people. “Police are investigating” the shooting, he told reporters. Akhtar said the protesters clashed with police in various parts of the city, and set fire to a police kiosk, prompting authorities to use tear gas and resort to baton charge to control the situation.
