Thousands protest against violence in Pakistan
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Xinhua, August 19, 2011
Thousands of people gathered in front of the Governor House in Karachi Friday afternoon to protest against the recent violence and target killings in the city, which have claimed dozens of lives over the last couple of days, reported local Urdu TV channel Geo.
Local watchers believed that the angry protesters including the victims of the target killings in the city could turn violent as local residents have almost lost the confidence in the government' s ability to check the rampant violence going on in the city for months.
The Karachi-based Federation of Chamber of Commerce demanded the army to take control of the city.
Since Wednesday over 45 people were reportedly killed in different firing incidents in various parts of the city. In July alone, over 300 people lost their lives in different political and ethnic violent in Karachi, bring to over 1,000 the total number of people killed in bloody violence in the city this year.
Located on the southern tip of Pakistan along the Arabian sea, Karachi is the country's largest economic center which contributes more than 60 percent of the country's tax revenues.
However, the rampant violence in the city have constantly put the businesses of the city to a standstill. Daily loss resulting from violence at its peak time in the city reportedly stands at about 100 million U.S. dollars.
The deteriorating law and order situation has caused a big concern in the country. Even the Pakistani army, in a very rare gesture, have recently expressed concerns over the growing violence in the city.
The main cause of the incessant violence and target killings in the city is the conflict between two groups, namely Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Awami National Party. They are the two old rivals in Karachi.
MQM represents the powerful Urdu-speaking population immigrating from India in 1947 when Pakistan got independence. ANP represents the Pashtun-speaking people from the country's northwest and southwest.
The two groups are in constant clashes with each other over political issues and business interests. The latest conflict between the two groups in the city is due to the restoration of the elected local government system introduced by the then Pakistani President Musharraf in 2001, which is believed to benefit MQM and hurt the interests of ANP in Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital.
