Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto claimed that 14 of her party workers were killed and scores injured in violent clashes in Karachi.
ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on Saturday claimed that 14 of her party workers were killed and scores injured in violent clashes in Karachi.
"The sight of the sons of Pakistan bleeding to death in the streets of Karachi is a shocking insight into the cruelty of the present regime," the self-exiled Bhutto said in a statement, adding that 14 activists of her Pakistan People's Party (PPP) were killed and scored injured in the clashes.
"PPP received reports that its rallies were surrounded by trucks and buses to besiege them. Then firing was started by Muthahida Quami Movement (MQM) workers, police, law enforcement (agencies) and men in plain clothes and masks with intent to injure and kill," she said.
She asked the Supreme Court to take suo motto notice of the incident, registration of criminal cases against the law enforcement and MQM members involved, their arrest and prosecution.
Bhutto said the democratic and constitutional right of the lawyers to welcome suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry was punctured by the "government-sponsored shooting" with dead bodies lying on the roads.
She expressed concern that coalition members of the regime were "creating civil war conditions to impose emergency to strengthen dictatorship and prolong the unrepresentative anti-people forces that emerged from the rugged election of 2002."
She conveyed condolences to the families of the deceased and said that their sacrifices would not go in vain.
Bhutto also directed the party leadership to visit the bereaved family members and asked PPP's lawyers' wing to provide legal support to the party workers.
State-run PTV said that four of those killed were MQM workers while MQM claimed that most of those killed and injured belonged to the party.
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