KARACHI, July 23, Reuter: Armed troops today recalled riot hit areas of Pakistan’s biggest city, Karachi, where 10 people were killed in pitcher battles between police and demonstrators.

Troops deployed last night to enforce a curfew imposed after a day of violence in which doctors in hospitals said seven civilians and three policemen were killed.

The police said there was no curfew violation by late afternoon, but residents of the three eastern city districts under curfew told reporters by telephone they had heard gunshots early today.

Riots began four days ago when police made a large number of arrests in connection with two car bomb blasts that killed 73 people and wounded about 300 in Karachi on July 14.

Protests against the bombings first turned into ethnic clashes and later into antigovernment riots after police arrested scores of people.

Kanwar Qutbuddin, a Parliament member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Party, told reporters he had to take refuge in a government hostel after his house was sprayed with bullets by police.

Witnesses said at one stage last night over 3,000 people came out of their houses in Landhi district to confront 1,000 police armed with rifles, shotguns and batons.

Intervention by senior government and police officials defused the situation.

The witnesses said at least 30 people were wounded in clashes yesterday between the police and antigovernment protesters in Landhi, Malir and Shah Faisal colony areas. Most of those injured were hit by police gunfire, they said.

Police said they resorted to shooting after rioters lynched one policeman and killed two others.

They said they found an illegal private bomb factory last night, arresting 25 people and recovering 10 homemade bombs in the colony area near Karachi International Airport.

Witnesses said pitched battles erupted as police rumbled through’ troubled areas in trucks. In one incident police on trucks sprayed gunfire at a crowd, killing a 10yearold boy and’ an 85yearold man, they said.

Residents said police had arrested teenagers in Malir and demanded large sums of money for their release and had stolen jewelry from a family in Landhi. Police denied both charges.

Article extracted from this publication >>  July 31, 1987