RAWALPINDI, Dec 29: Rangers were deployed in the city on Saturday as violent street protests over the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in the garrison city continued for the third day.

But they restricted themselves to a show of force and left it to the police to battle with the rioters which arrested over two dozen rioters in the day-long hide-and-seek between them.

Islamabad, however, was much calmer and appeared limping back to normal.

Police said that with all businesses closed and the roads deserted, the day began as a calm day. But it hot up in the afternoon following in-absentia funeral prayers in Liaquat Bagh where the popular leader was slain.

Some of the mourners spread out in groups after the prayers and went on rampage in neighbouring areas like College Road, Naya Mohalla, Committee Chowk, Chittian Hattian, Kohati Bazaar and the far away Faizabad. They attacked public and private properties, burnt tyres and rubbish on the roads and pulled down election banners.

Police fired tear gas on the rioters when they broke the glass front of a bank on the College Road. Elsewhere, the police chased them, sometime entering into houses to arrest them.

Residents did not like the intrusion. At places housewives came out on the streets to protest the intrusion and the tear gas shelling by the police.

In contrast, the situation in neighbouring Islamabad was much calmer on the day.

Though Rangers have been manning strategic points in the capital since November 3, it fell to the 2,000 policemen to deal with the rash of short-lived stone throwing, tyre burning and protests at Aabpara, Sitara Market, Karachi Company, Zero Point and Karar and Khanna sections on the Islamabad Highway.

A group of students staged a protest march from Quaid-i-Azam University up to Bari Imam shrine without any trouble.

Although businesses remained closed, increasing number of citizens ventured out as the day progressed, showing the city was stirring back to life.

Long queues were seen building up at the few gas and petrol stations which reopened after dusk. Fuel stations which opened for business during the day time were forced by vigilante groups to close.