Violent protests rock Pakistan
Bhutto’s killing sparks clashes in cities across the country.
Politician killed
Ten railway stations and several trains across Sindh were also burned.
Khaskheli also said one section of the track leading to the border with India was uprooted.
Shoot on sight
The government has ordered paramilitary forces, or rangers, to shoot on sight those engaged in the disturbances in Karachi.
Major Athar Ali, a spokesman for the force, said: “Paramilitary rangers have been given orders to shoot on sight if they see miscreants indulging in anti-state activities, attacking government property or setting on fire private property.”
Violence has engulfed several Pakistani provinces of following the killing [Reuters] |
The force reportedly includes 16,000 rangers deployed across Sindh, with 10,000 in Karachi alone.
Troops were also sent to the cities of Larkana, Sukkur, Shahdad Kot and Rohri in Sindh.
“Troops will remain present in these cities and assist local authorities in case of any eventuality.”
In Peshawar, the main city of the North West Frontier Province, about 4,000 supporters of Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party demonstrated on Friday.
Murder mystery
Musharraf has blamed Bhutto’s killing on pro-Taliban fighters based along the border region with Afghanistan, pledging in a televised speech that “we will not rest until we eliminate these terrorists and root them out”.
Bhutto was killed by a bomber on Thursday after a party rally in Rawalpindi [Reuters] |
But authorities said they had yet to identify the attacker.
Saud Aziz, the chief of police in Rawalpindi, said: “It is too early to say who may have been responsible.”
Aziz said that a joint task force of police and officials from other law-enforcement agencies were investigating the case.
But doubt has been cast by several commentators on the possibility of the culprits ever being apprehended.