63 rioters sent to police remand

At least 19 people were killed as protests against anti-Islam film and blasphemous sketches turned violent

Karachi: An anti-terrorism court Saturday ordered 63 suspects in police custody in the widespread riots and arson on Friday during the day-long protests against the blasphemous film that has sparked agitation across the Muslim world.

The police rounded up the suspects on Friday after two cinema houses, a foreign restaurant and many vehicles were ransacked by protesters.

Justice Shabbir Ahmad Khoso of Anti Terrorism Court Number one, remanded all the suspects into police custody for further interrogation till September 25.

At least 19 people including 14 in Karachi, were killed and over 100 injured as protests against the anti-Islam film and blasphemous sketches turned violent in several cities across Pakistan.

Earlier in the day peaceful rallies were held in Karachi but after the Friday congregations the protesters set five cinema houses on fire. Shops, banks, vehicles and police vans were also smashed and set ablaze in many parts of the city.

At least 14 deaths were reported and over 100 injured were rushed to hospitals across the city. The angry crowd also attacked the emergency departments of the Civil and Jinnah hospitals, where the inured were brought for treatment.

Looting and ransacking were reported in several areas of the city towards the evening.

Karachi Transport Ittehad announced it will shut public transport today, however some public transport was seen on the roads. The routes leading to the US consulate were still blocked with shipping containers, tankers and barbed wires.

Business activities resumed in other cities across the country including Lahore, Rawalpindi and Peshawar. The blockades were removed from the routes leading to the US consulate in Lahore but strict security was observed around the US consulate in Peshawar.
Source http://gulfnews.com/news/world/pakistan/63-rioters-sent-to-police-remand-1.1079736