83 held in Karachi operation, 'Bhatta mafia intact'

The raids came amid mounting calls from leading business groups and politicians for the army to step in to end the spreading violence that has claimed at least 111 lives in a week.We have conducted 82 different raids, big and small, all across the city since last night, and have arrested 72 people, Karachi police chief Saud Mirza said. Home Minister Manzoor Wassan however said separately 83 suspects have been arrested.Mirza said the raids by police and paramilitary rangers would continue and had already shown results with only one person killed on Wednesday in the least violent day for a week.However, traders still complain of Bhatta mafia perturbing them by giving slips to make payments or face consequences.The latest fighting erupted Aug. 17 in the citys old district of Lyari, long a focus of battles between rival gangs and a stronghold of President Asif Ali Zardaris Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), before spreading to other parts of the city.Some officials and observers blame the PPP, the citys dominant Muttahida Qaumi Movement and its rival ethnic-Pashtun Awami National Party for links to criminal gangs as well as engaging in turf wars to gain political space. All the parties deny these charges.In the surgical operation, security forces targeted Liyari, Orangi and other neighbourhoods troubled by deadly violence.We have found a large number of weapons and ammunition from them, an official added. The operation against the killers and criminals will continue.Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday flew to Karachi and urged the provincial government to restore peace as quickly as possible, underlining how worried authorities are about the situation.Later, Brigadier Waseem of the Rangers appeared before media. The figures of arrests that he mentioned were however ar odds with the earlier figures given by police. He said 14 suspects have been arrested during the operation and one motorcycle, three cars, 50kg marijuana, 100 liquor bottles and explosive chemicals have also been seized.The Ranger carried out operation in Muhammad Pur, Katti Parahi and adjoining areas like elsewhere. The key feature of this operation nonetheless was that Home Minister Manzoor Wasan himself visited the area and monitored the operation on the ground in a rare such show.The Rangers had started their operation from Lyari where the area residents staged a protest against the move. They burnt tyres and some people resorted to aeriel firing, injured at least seven people.A report meanwhile said Bhatta slips have also been seized in the operation. Bhatta is a form of illegal tax these miscreants collect by distributing slips among the traders, warnign them of dire consequences in case money is not paid.