At least eight killed, scores injured in Karachi clashes

CNews Karachi: Eight people were killed Wednesday in Karachi - including five who were burnt alive in a downtown building - during clashes between two groups of lawyers. The troubles were part of a countrywide protest against the manhandling of Sher Afgan Niazi, a former parliamentary affairs minister, by a crowd of lawyers in Lahore Tuesday evening.In Karachi the violence swept when late Wednesday afternoon two lawyers group clashed at Malir Bar offices over Tuesday's attack.Mobs set dozens of vehicles and some buildings on fire, gutting at least two buildings, including the offices of a bar association in Malir neighbourhood. Five charred bodies were recovered from Tahir Plaza that houses several law offices.Civil Hospital confirmed seven bodies had been brought, including the five completely burnt bodies including a woman. The hospital also confirmed 15 injured as armed groups exchanged gun fire in the streets.But local media reports said eight were killed and over 40 cars were burned in different parts of the city.Naeem Qureshi, Secretary General of Karachi Bar Association, told media that six people were burnt at the building, though hospital confirmed five, and over 40 law offices were gutted.Qureshi said miscreants attacked the building, which houses several pro-civil society movement lawyer offices, and locked the fifth floor so that people could not escape.Earlier in the day a crowd rallied in Niazi's hometown of Mianwali, and warned if the "hooligans" who roughed up the former minister Tuesday night were not arrested within a day they would disrupt communication links between major cities, and march on Lahore.