Sindh Governor seeks army deployment in Karachi as death toll rises to 16

Sindh Governor Ishrat-ul-Ebad has asked the Pakistan Government to deploy the army in Karachi after 16 people died and scores were injured in the politically-motivated violence ahead of suspended Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhrys address to the Sindh High Court and the Sindh Bar Association on the occasion of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the apex court.

Karachi, May 12 : Sindh Governor Ishrat-ul-Ebad has asked the Pakistan Government to deploy the army in Karachi after 16 people died and scores were injured in the politically-motivated violence ahead of suspended Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry's address to the Sindh High Court and the Sindh Bar Association on the occasion of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the apex court.

Ebad also urged the federal government to send Chief Justice Chaudhry back to Islamabad immediately in view of the "tense situation."

The Governor's plea came minutes after Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf called an emergency meeting in Islamabad to assess the situation in Karachi. Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was also in attendance at the meeting where 'important decisions' could be taken and announced shortly, The News reported.

Incidents of bullet firing have been pouring in from different parts of Karachi.

The Advisor to the Chief Minister for Home Affairs, Waseem Akhtar, said that at least six activists of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) were killed.

An activist of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) was also killed in firing at Shahra-e-Faisal near Drig Road.

Akhtar blamed Chaudhry for the violence in the city and advised the latter to form his own political party.

Meanwhile in Rawalpindi, Musharraf ruled out imposing an emergency in the country in the wake of the current political scenario.

"There is no need for a declaration of emergency as the country is not passing through such conditions that would force us to take such a hard decision, he said, while addressing the inaugural ceremony of a power plant in Rawalpindi.

He said that Chaudhry should not politicize the March 9 presidential reference filed against him.

ANI