Karachi CCTV footage shows arsonists wreaking havoc

Thursday, 31 Dec, 2009

KARACHI: The CCTV footage of the Karachi riots has been released to the media. The footage captured by cameras installed by the city district government clearly shows arsonists setting fire to shops, vehicles and destroying public and private property.

The images show several arsonists and rioters setting fire to cars and shops after the blast on Karachi’s Mohammad Ali Jinnah road.

According to the CDGK, these and other visuals were also sent to police and other law enforcement authorities so that the people seen in the video can be identified and action can be taken against them.

In the footage, police and other security personnel can be seen standing by, doing nothing, while miscreants were busy rioting.

DawnNews spoke to DIG South Mr Ghulam Nabi Memon who heads the investigating unit probing the riots. He said the police did not open fire to avoid collateral damage.

Memon said had the police opened fire they could have hit mourners in the procession and that would have had negative fallout.