HYDERABAD, Dec 27: People reacted violently to Benazir’s assassination by torching government properties and vehicles throughout interior of Sindh. Protesters resorted to arson and vandalism on hearing the news of their leader Benazir Bhutto being killed soon after addressing a meeting in Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi, on Thursday.

During the filing of this report a little before midnight reports of firing, looting, arson and ransacking of public and private properties poured in from different parts of Sindh with no sign of abatement. Authorities failed in restoring normalcy in disturbed areas.

Thousands of terrified passengers, travelling through buses and trains, are stranded at different locations of highways and at railways stations.

A pall of gloom, anger, desperation and mourning hung over whole of interior Sindh, right from Thatta to Kashmore as news about assassination of PPP chairperson spread like wildfire. Four persons including two PPP workers received bullet injuries in Tando Allahyar district.

Angry people took to streets in groups to force closure of shops and business houses throughout interior Sindh. Streetlights were switched off immediately and all towns were plunged into darkness. Railway traffic between up and down country was suspended by railway authorities.

Angry protesters, who were weeping profusely and hugging each other in mourning, took to streets and burnt many banks, petrol pumps and government offices as well as offices of elected nazims, naib nazims including police stations. District Nazim secretariats of Hyderabad and DPO and DCO offices Tando Mohammad Khan were torched. Properties of Jatois were set ablaze and the portraits of Liaquat Jatoi were destroyed in Dadu. Police was nowhere to be seen as it remained within the police stations.

National and super highways remained blocked and scores of vehicles were set ablaze.

In Hyderabad after news of Benazir Bhutto’s death was aired on TV channels, violent protesters and angry PPP activists took full control of the city in no time as they ruled almost all the main arteries of the city, pelting vehicles with stones and torching dozens of vehicles. This reporter didn’t find any personnel of police or any other law enforcing agencies during visit to different parts of the city. Main pockets and roads looked like a battlefield as even fire tenders couldn’t reach areas where vehicles and banks were burnt.

The news spread like a wild fire and the city witnessed a total breakdown of law and order situation at around 6.30 pm. Enraged youths who carried baton, iron rods, bricks and stones came out on the roads, hurling abuses to give vent to their anger and forcing people to run helter skelter. Stampede among elderly men, women and young children with luggage on their heads who were returning from different parts was witnessed.

It led to a worst traffic jams on the roads but soon vehicles got off the roads as panic-stricken people found no means of transport for travelling. Areas of Gari Khata, Qazi Abdul Qayyum road, National Highway, Shah Makki Road, Site area, Qasimabad, Hirabad, Session Court, Fatima Jinnah road, Gharib Nawaz Bridge, etc., were the worst affected areas.

Angry protesters smashed billboards and portraits of MQM chief Altaf Hussain at Hyder Bux Jatoi roundabout. Lights on main roads and streets remained completely switched-off, plunging localities into darkness. Carrying weapons in their hands miscreants didn’t allow anyone to come closer to them.

According to a safe estimate over three dozen vehicles were burnt. Miscreants burnt a fleet of vehicles in the parking lot of a hotel in front of central jail. They burnt over one dozen vehicles in a row on a section of National Highway in front of Barrage colony, outside central jail, Gharib Nawaz bridge, Shah Makki Road and Thandi Sarak area.

Branches of UBL, HBL, NBP, MCB and Al-Habib, were torched in Cantonment area, Hussainabad, Qasimabad. Protesters attacked Tandojam police station. SHO Tandojam police station said that miscreants torched engine of Mehran Express on Tandojam railway station but it was saved. An unconfirmed report said that three bogies were torched.

Up and down country railway traffic remained suspended and railway authorise halted trains at different railways stations, including Hyderabad, Kotri, Tando Adam, Dhabeji, Tandojam, etc. Attempts were made by protesters to torch the bogies. A similar situation was averted at Hyderabad railway station. The situation remained extremely tense when this story was filed.

Enraged people set ablaze Matiari police station offices of DPO, taluka nazim, naib nazim and TMO. Protesters torched four vehicles parked at Matiari police station, including police mobiles. Police tear gassed and fired to disperse crowd. Protesters blocked National Highway and torched four trailers. Protesters were targeting government properties.

Angry people set ablaze ABL and PICIC banks in Tando Allahyar. When protesters tried to torch NBP, the bank guard resorted to firing injuring Abdul Karim alias Babu, Jakhro Khan, Muneer and Abbu Shah who were removed to Hyderabad. Karim’s condition is stated to be precarious. He is admitted in ICU. An unknown person tried to commit suicide on hearing news of Ms Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. The city plunged into darkness when her death’s news reached here. Police disappeared from the scene.

Enraged activists set ablaze district nazim secretariat, TMA office, HBL, a fire engine and two petrol pumps in Tando Mohammad Khan.

The entire city is in the control of protesters while police is nowhere to be seen. Offices of the DPO and the DCO were torched and a NBP branch was ransacked.

In Shikarpur, the offices of Edhi welfare trust, PIA, taluka municipal administration, district council, railway station, MQM, First Women Bank were ransacked. Angry mob took to streets and resorted to heavy firing in Lakhi gate and other areas of city. All shopkeepers closed their shops to mourn the death of Benazir Bhutto. Youth resorted to acts of arson and vandalism at a number of spots.

The city wore a deserted and mourning look. People closed their doors.

In Thatta hundreds of protesters took to streets and set on fire the telephone exchange, a traffic police picket, taluka council office, NBP main branch, MCB, Raja bakery and a number of vehicles.

Protesters attacked Thatta police station and exchanged fire with police, injuring an unidentified constable while another person was injured in aerial firing.

Within minutes, roads and streets wore a deserted look while enraged protesters resorted to heavy firing, pelted stones at vehicles and smashed windscreens of a number of vehicles.

Emotional scenes were witnessed wherein a number of people were seen crying and hugging each other in mourning. Large billboards of different commercial companies and portraits of the Shirazis and banners and flags of pro-government parties were set on fire.

Same situation prevailed in Mirpur Bathoro, Gharo, Sujawal, Jati, Chuhar Jamali and Jhoke Sharif. Tension prevails in the district and Thatta is virtually in the control of angry mob.

In Badin, shops were closed, youths took to streets and set ablaze tyres. Some enraged protesters resorted to aerial firing. People remained indoors due to tension.

In Nawabshah, all markets and shops were closed as soon as the news of the assassination reached here. Enraged protesters came out on the roads and resorted to aerial firing. Protesters burnt tyres in different parts of the city.

Hundreds of PPP activists and supporters gathered at Zardari House Nawabshah immediately after the news of the assassination. Some unidentified persons set ablaze moving carts in Liaquat Market. Protesters also blocked the National Highway at Qazi Ahmed suspending all kind of traffic which could not be restored till the filing of this report. Main cloth market and two vehicles were also torched.In Khairpur, a large number of PPP activists came out on roads and main chowks of the city including Luqman Phatak area, Garhi Pul, Khaki Shah Pul and blocked the roads.

No transport including rickshaw or taxi could be seen in the city. People were seen weeping after hearing the news. Private clinics remained closed whereas roads in the city wore a deserted look. People in other towns of the district including Gambat, Faiz Ganj, Ranipur, Sobhodero also protested against the incident.

Tharparkar, Mithi, Islamkot, Diplo and other towns were closed. Protesters raised slogans and burnt tyres.

In Naushahro Feroze, hundreds of people gathered in Padidan and hurled stones at the railway station. A public meeting in Tharushah was being addressed by PPP candidate Syed Zafar Ali Shah at that time when the news of the assassination reached there. The crowd dispersed and participants took out rallies and the town was closed.

Over 600 people were gathered at Allahwala chowk Naushahro Feroze and were weeping and firing in the air. All the main bazaars, markets were shut down. At the time of filing of this report people had gathered at the main railway phatak (crossing) and were trying to control main railway cabin.

In Kandiaro, thousands of people had come out on the National Highway and burnt several vehicles. Enraged protesters torched MCB, UBL, Motorway office and about 10 vehicles were torched in office. About half a dozen trailers were burnt on main Kandiaro road. A number of shops were burnt in Shahi bazaar.

Over 1,000 people attacked the Moro police station. A large number of shops were burnt while five shops were torched in Naushahro Feroze.

ASI Mohammad Yousuf said that they were not able to move. The ASI confirmed that hundreds of people have gathered on the National Highway and burnt several vehicles. He said that National Bank Moro was also burnt by the enraged people.

In Naushahro Feroze, people torched shops near Habib chowk and National Highway. A mob ransacked an MQM office and torched furniture. People tried to set NBP Naushahro Feroze on fire but police opened fire and dispersed them. Branches of MCB, HBL, UBL and ABL were also set ablaze. Bazaars remained closed in Mehrabpur while an MQM office was set ablaze at Bhirya town.

In Dadu, protesters burnt National Bank, Habib Bank, a bungalow and cinema, believed to be properties of the former federal minister, Liaquat Ali Jatoi. Some transformers were torched.

Protesters fired and blocked Larkana and Moro roads and other exit roads. They pulled down portraits and election banners of Liaquat Jatoi.

Hundreds of PPP workers were out on roads which were without streetlights, weeping and embracing one and other. Police were not seen any where. A blackout was witnessed. Police tear gassed protesters, who besieged a police station.

In Mirpurkhas, violence erupted as hundreds of enraged protesters carrying arms and sticks forced shopkeepers to close down shops and ransack outlets and beat up some shopkeepers.

They resorted to heavy firing and burnt tyres in different parts of the city. Police were nowhere to be seen as people closed Nawabshah, Sindhri, Umerkot and Hyderabad railway crossings, pelting stones on portraits of different leaders at different places. Traffic remained off the road and protesters set on fire electricity poles at post office chowk, Market chowk and ransacked patrol pumps. Enraged protesters ransacked shops on M.A.Jinnah road.

The city remained in the grip of violence and armed men were ruling roads and streets, burning tyres. Posters and flags of different parties were torched. A group of people set on fire office of Sunni Tehrik.Protesters torched shops in Mohajir colony chowk, Hirabad and Walkart, firing in the air. Gunmen damaged emergency and other wards of civil hospital.

Enraged protesters resorted to aerial firing in Umerkot and shopkeepers closed their shops. Protesters raised slogans against the government.

In Jacobabad, District and Sessions Court, district council office, election office, MCB, NBP, Askari Bank and UBL were torched.

An enraged mob attacked the DPO house but police foiled their bid by opening fire. A number of arson and vandalism incidents were reported.

Some groups were looting shops at Tower road, Quaid-i-Azam road, main temple street, Shahi bazaar and Sarafa bazaar. There was firing and fire throughout the city.

Protesters also torched portraits of caretaker prime minister and PML-Q posters and banners.