Violence erupts at dance show

Staff Report

KARACHI: Violence erupted in Boat Basin area of Clifton on Thursday at a variety cultural show when a group of young men went wild, occupied the stage and tried to kidnap a dancing girl. In the violence that followed at least four vehicles, including two police motorcycles, were set ablaze and two men received bullet injuries.

On the second day of Eid, a variety cultural show was arranged in the empty area behind Fun Land without official permission, but, reportedly, with the connivance of the area police. It is learnt that permission was given to organise three Pushto musical progammes. The fourth, at which the violence took place, was arranged without permission but the area police allowed the organisers to run it.

Witnesses said Rs 250-Rs 400 was charged for admission to the show, and more than 300 turned up to watch the dances performed by about a dozen girls.

A group of young men tried to abduct one dancer, Shehnaz Khan. Violence erupted when organisers tried to resist the unruly elements. The attempt angered the abductors who set fire to the chair, the stage, and the tent which housed the event. An exchange of gunfire then took place between the organisers and the hooligans which collapsed into a free-for-all as both sides used firearms, sticks and daggers.

The police fired teargas shells and fired shots into the air to disperse the crowd. As people fled, one car and three motorcycles were set on fire. Bullets hit two men, Yousuf and Rahman, and fifteen more were injured by chairs and sticks. Sources said SHO (Station House Officer) Preedy, Asif Razzaq, and five other policemen were also injured in the violence.

The police said Dilshad, who managed the dance group, was arrested along with 80 others.

The police also denied that they allowed the Mujra in the first place after taking a bribe. The town police officer in Saddar, SSP (Senior Superintendent of Police) Sanaullah Abbasi said the show had been held without permission and he had ordered the arrest of the organisers along with the dancers. He said after the violence three other shows that were being held in the area had been stopped immediately and their permission withdrawn.

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