Karachi braves more violence, 24 arrested

The clashes broke out on Saturday between fringe elements within the city's Urdu-speaking community and ethnic Pashtuns from northwest Pakistan.

However, political leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) - the major political party in Karachi which represents many Urdu-speaking residents - and the Awami National Party (ANP) - which represents many ethnic Pashtuns - continued to condemn the violence and blame it on 'hidden elements.'

MQM minister Shoaib Bukhari told PPI that the 'involvement of hidden elements in this phenomenon can not be denied.'

According to Reuters, some commentators in Pakistan have raised the possibility of Indian instigation of the violence in Karachi as a response to last week's militant assault in Mumbai, which India has linked to Pakistan.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif said he was surprised by the timing of the Karachi violence.

'The killings in Karachi erupted suddenly after the Mumbai incident,' Sharif told reporters. 'I'm surprised how it erupted all of a sudden ... I think this needs to be looked in to thoroughly, which forces are involved in it.'

For the most part, violence has remained restricted to certain areas of the city such as Orangi Town, Sohrab Goth, Malir and to a lesser extent Gulistan-i-Jauhar.

However, many residents continue to be gripped by fear as a result of widely circulated yet unverified reports of violent mutilations being conducted by the rioters.

City police chief Waseem Ahmed said four people were killed in different incidents in the early hours of Tuesday but the city had been mostly calm since then.

'There has been no major incident since the morning,' Ahmed told Reuters.

At least 47 people have been killed and over 200 injured since Saturday, according to a tally of reports from police and hospitals.

Rivals fought gun battles and burned shops and cars in several parts of the city of 15 million people over the weekend and more disturbances erupted on Monday.

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