14 killed in fresh Karachi political violence

Supporters of political party Muttahida Qaumi Movement burn an effigy representing provincial Minister Zulfikar Mirza during a protest in Karachi. KARACHI, July 14 (Reuters): Fresh political violence gripped Pakistan's commercial capital, Karachi, Thursday, leaving 14 people dead in fighting sparked by a senior ruling party leader's criticism of the city's dominant political group.

Angry mobs went on a rampage and burned vehicles after Zulfiqar Mirza, a minister in the Sindh provincial assembly and senior member of President Asif Ali Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP), urged the people of Karachi and Hyderabad, the second-largest city of Sindh, to "stand up ... and rid yourselves" of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).

"I appeal to the people of Karachi especially, and of Hyderabad, to stand up for yourselves, for Pakistan, for Karachi and for your innocent children, and rid yourselves of these cursed ones," he said while talking to reporters, referring to senior MQM leaders.

In comments broadcast repeatedly by local television stations, he also criticised Mohajirs -- the descendents of Urdu-speakers who migrated from India -- for being ungrateful for the home they were given after the creation of Pakistan in 1947.

Provincial home minister Manzoor Wasan said 14 people were killed and 25 wounded in violence since last night. At least one person was killed in Hyderabad, police said.

Several protests were held in Karachi and other cities of the province, where hundreds of angry protesters burned tires, chanted slogans against Mirza and burned his effigies, demanding his removal as a minister.

Many roads were closed in Karachi after protesters torched several vehicles following heavy firing all night in many areas.

Mirza later apologised for his comments.

"My statement last night was my personal view and was not meant to hurt anybody's sentiments. But if it has done that, I sincerely apologise," he said in a statement.

Karachi, home to more than 18 million people, has a long history of ethnic, religious and sectarian violence.

It was a major target of al Qaeda-linked militants after the September 11 2001 attacks on the United States, when Pakistan joined the US-led campaign against militancy.

The latest incidents come after a surge in ethnic and political violence in Karachi last week, which killed more than 100 people.

As the commercial hub, any upheaval in Karachi could disturb industrial activity and have serious consequences for the economy.

The country is struggling to control a rising Taliban insurgency in the northwest along the border with Afghanistan, while militant attacks in bigger cities are also on the rise.

The insurgency, perceptions of corruption and chronic power shortages have put off long-term investors, hurting the fragile economy which has been propped up by an $11 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme.

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Photographer shot in second night of Belfast violence

BELFAST, June 22 (AFP): A photographer was shot in the leg and police were pelted with petrol bombs in a second night of sectarian violence in Belfast, in some of the worst clashes in Northern Ireland for years.

Police used water cannon as up to 400 people gathered in the Protestant east Belfast on Tuesday evening, near a Catholic area which was a notorious flashpoint during three decades of civil strife which started in the late 1960s.

Several gunshots were fired just before midnight, police and witnesses said, and a photographer working for Britain's Press Association news agency was shot in his lower right leg. He was taken to hospital but was in a stable condition.

The paramilitary group wants Northern Ireland to remain part of Britain, unlike the republican Catholics who want it to join with the Republic of Ireland.

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UP ELECTIONSPost-poll violence claims 2 lives

Rajbari, June 19 (bdnews24.com) ? A post-polls clash between the supporters of the winning chairman and his rival at the district's Babupara union of Pangsha upazila has left one dead and at least six others injured.

Police said the clash erupted on Sunday morning when the supporters of candidate Iman Sarder attacked the house of 'Shahidul', a supporter of the winning candidate Kashem Sarwar.

The deceased, Abdul Momin, 20, son of Abul Hossain Fakir, and another injured 'Raju', 21, were shot at during the clash. Momin succumbed to bullet injury on way to the Faridpur Medical College (FMC) from the Pangsha Upazila Health Complex.

Health complex officials said the injured Aynal Sarder, 24, Ujir Ahmed, 22, 'Rezaul', 30, 'Iran', 40 and Jahirun Nesa, 45, along with Momin and Raju were taken to the complex first.

All of them were admitted to the complex, while Raju was admitted to the FMC.

Pangsha Police Station acting officer in-charge (investigation) Alamgir Hossain said Momin and Raju were shot at by Shahidul's brother 'Montu'. He fired from his licensed gun to save his brother from the attack.

Police arrested Montu and seized the gun with 19 rounds of bullet.

A case has been filed with Pangsha Police Station and additional police force has been deployed in the area.

Meanwhile, another post-polls clash between the supporters of the winning candidate and his rival at Sahapara union of Sadar upazila of Gaibandha district has left one dead.

Tajul Islam, 30, died at the Rangpur Medical College (RMC) on Sunday where he was admitted on Friday after the clash between the supporters of candidates Mominul Haque and Sahadul Islam.

Gaibandha Police Station officer in-charge Moshiur Rahman said dispute between supporters of the two candidates turned into a clash which left at least 12 people injured at Chakchaka village of the union.

"Of them, critically injured Nazrul Islam and Tajul were and admitted at the RMC. Tajul died in the early hours on Sunday," he said.

A case had been filed in this connection at the Sadar Police Station, he added.

bdnews24.com/corr/kms/pd/trb/nir/2345h

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1 killed in Madaripur polls violence

Madaripur, June 19 (bdnews24.com) ? Miscreants have hacked a sexagenarian man to death at Kalkini upazila in Madaripur, hours before the Union Parishad polls began in the area.

Police said the incident took place early on Sunday at Char Daulat Kha village in the upazila that saw polls in 14 unions on Sunday.

The victim was identified as Mohabbat Ali Sarder, 60.

At least three people were killed in the upazila last month centering the local body elections.

Locals alleged the supporters of two chairman candidates -- Sarder Mohammad Abdul Mannan and Chan Mia Shikder -- set off a number of hand bombs from 10:30pm until the early hours of Sunday, spreading panic in the area.

Mannan's supporters tried to drive out the agents of their rival candidate from three centres, Kalkini Police Station officer in-charge A K M Shahin Mandal told bdnews24.com.

The body of Mohabbat was in the police station until filing of the report.

Additional police were deployed at the village to avoid further trouble, the police officer said.

bdnews24.com/corr/pd/aik/pks/sam/1855h

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