Karachi, July 16: With violence escalating in the wake of the killing of 35-year-old Bilal Kaka, political leaders in Pakistan continued efforts to allay the tensions and appealed to people to beware of conspiracies that aim to sow the seed of disharmony among Sindhis and Pashtuns, local media reported.
On Friday, the Sindh government announced that another suspect accused of Kaka’s killing was in custody, while 76 people involved in the violence at Karachi’s Sohrab Goth area, as well as forcibly closing businesses in other districts, have also been arrested, Dawn reported.
Hyderabad SSP Amjad Sheikh told Dawn that the suspect, Afzal Khan, was the brother of Shah Sawar, the hotel owner who was already in custody.
In a press conference, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon claimed that social media accounts of deceased people were used to circulate hate messages and share videos to further fuel tensions.
He said the federal interior ministry had been asked to take action against those spreading hatred on social media, he said, while warning that such miscreants will be arrested.
The minister alleged that the PTI leaders tried to exploit the situation and spread chaos to further their own vested interests.
“Special Branch has sent photos of people leading the Sohrab Goth sit-in. The same person was [previously] walking around with the flag of Afghanistan and his brother is contesting local bodies elections on a PTI ticket,” Dawn reported quoting the minister as saying.
On Friday, Acting Sindh Governor Agha Siraj Durrani met a 19-member delegation from the Pashtun community at the Governor’s House, where the delegates assured him of their complete support for the Sindh government in defusing tensions and maintaining the peace.
Separately, Karachi JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that ethnic polarisation was being fanned for political point-scoring in the wake of Kaka’s murder.
Workers of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz and other activists held a demonstration in Mirpurkhas’ Naokot and Jhuddo town on Friday.
Protesters carrying banners and placards demanded the police to immediately arrest all the accused responsible for Kaka’s killing.
With IANS Inputs…
