Re: up to date city reports on law and order situation
we live right across from Bhutto's home in Karachi so understandably its really bad where we are.
yesterday we were in Regal Market in Saddar when it happened. Less than an hour after that every street was choked, evidently people wanted to get to safety before anything happened. We tried to get to our relatives who live close to the airport, but that was impossible. So after three and half hours we got to about 2 miles from our house. We couldnt take the car further because on every side of us they were stopping cars and burning them. My mother who was just diagnosed with a heart condition was stressed out as it was, but we had no option but to walk from there, even as we saw cars burning on every street corner, and people coming back having been looted.
We walked for about a mile and a half before we saw a rickshaw who said hed take us as far as he could. When we approached Bilawal chowrangi though we were accosted by about ten PPP supporters who had been burning cars all over the place. Thankfully they were still humans and let me and my mom walk to our house, infact escorted us.. but not ten paces and about 8 police mobiles came guns blazing sirens blaring. The youths scattered all over the place leaving me and my mom in front of the headlights like reindeer in front of..well headlights. Thankfully no crossfire or anything happened, and we managed to get home after that without incident.
Right now, the whole area is shut down close to where I live. Barbecue Tonight, a famous restaurant in this part of the city is bombed out, as are the banks near where we live. Overall it pretty much is a warzone.
While the anger is understandable, it is really sad that the people who pay for this stuff are taxi drivers and motorcycle owners.
So glad to hear you made it home alright. Please take care of yourself and your loved ones in these critical times and use all restaint possible. :)