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Violence abates, yet tension prevails

ISLAMABAD: Two days after Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, Pakistan continued to remain tense, although the violence that broke out following the killing abated considerably.

But incidents were still being reported, and the government said 38 people died in the violence across the country since Thursday. Property worth billions of rupees was destroyed in two days of arson and looting.

The Interior Ministry said on Saturday 765 shops, 18 railway stations and 174 banks had been burnt across the country.

Many parts of the country remained shut down. The capital limped back to normal late in the afternoon with petrol pumps and shops reopening cautiously.

The government said the “timely” and “effective” deployment of the army in Sindh had helped restore peace.

The Interior Ministry spokesman said “complete peace will be restored in the country within two days.”

At a meeting on Saturday, President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Mohammadmian Soomro directed law enforcement agencies to deal with rioters firmly and take action against them under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

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