Life was coming back to normal in Kati Pahari, Orangi Town on Wednesday. – Online Photo

KARACHI: Normality returned to most parts of the city on Wednesday following a midnight ‘search operation’ by police and Rangers in Orangi Town, officials said.

The recent wave of violence that claimed nearly 100 lives within a week seemed to taper off in that four bodies were found in different areas of the city in the early hours of the day.

In his interaction with the media at the National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC), Federal Interior Minister Rahman Malik said the operation in strife-hit areas led to the arrest of ‘several dozens suspects’ and the recovery of ‘sophisticated weapons’ but the Rangers and police had offered nothing in evidence to corroborate such claims.

The law-enforcers detained nine suspects during the joint operation by police and Rangers in Aligarh Colony, Bukhari Colony and Gulfamabad areas of Orangi Town, said SSP West Asif Ejaz.

“During the search, we also recovered dozens of arms from the strife-hit areas. Of the weapons, 29 were licensed and 14 were unlicensed. The operation lasted over three hours,” he said.

He added that the suspects were being interrogated.Protesting against the unannounced action by the law-enforcers, who had blocked all exit and entry points of the Orangi Town before and during the operation, residents converged on the Qaddafi Chowk in large numbers. They chanted slogans against the police and Rangers, complaining that the law-enforcers stormed into their houses just an hour before the conclusion of Sehri.

The interior minister had earlier ruled out the possibility of any major ‘operation’ in Karachi saying that the law-enforcers were planning only ‘targeted-action’ in strife-hit towns.

“Peace in Karachi is a must not only for the innocent citizens but also for the economy of the country,” he told reporters at the NCMC after chairing a meeting held to review the law and order situation.

The minister said he agreed with the concerns being expressed by MQM chief Altaf Hussain over deteriorating peace and the recent measures reflected government’s resolve and commitment to fix the issues.

Meanwhile, the police found the bodies of four youngsters, who had been tortured before being shot dead, in different areas
though there was no incident of gun attack or firing reported from any part of the metropolis.

In the early morning, the bodies of two young men were found in Bheempura. The victims had been tied up before being gunned down, the police said.

“There is an old residential building called Sawaar Compound in Bheempura area,” said DSP Murtaza Ali. “The bodies were lying abandoned along the rear walls of the building. They were shifted to the Edhi morgue for the want of identification after medico-legal formalities at the Civil Hospital.”Another body was found in the neighbouring town of Lyari. The area police said the man in his late-20s was found shot dead in Usmanabad area near Ghazi Nagar. They added that he was hit by three bullets fired from a very close range.

“The victim has been identified as Abid Baig, a resident of Major Abdul Rahman Road in the Lyari area,” said an official at the Garden police station. “He left home on Tuesday evening but did not return. The family said that he was not active in politics but had a number of friends associated with political parties.”

Yet another body was found from a garbage dump near Government Islamia Degree College in Jamshed Town.

The victim, in his mid-20s, had suffered a fatal bullet wound in the head, said an official at the Jamshed Quarters police station. The body was shifted to Edhi morgue for want of identification after medico-legal formalities.