KARACHI: A meeting called by All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association (APOTOA) turned violent on Friday when enraged people pelted police with stones, ransacked a bank, a petrol pump and damaged over two dozen vehicles in Shireen Jinnah Colony area. However, police claimed to have arrested over 100 miscreants and brought the situation under control.

Witnesses said hundreds of people attended a meeting of APOTOA on Friday. Heavy contingent of police was also present near the venue to avert any untoward incident. Though meeting ended peacefully but violence started when the participants were leaving the venue.

Police claimed that some participants of the meeting tried to create a law and order situation. In a bid to disperse the mob, police lobbed teargas canisters, which further aggravated the situation.

They said within minutes, violence spread in different areas of Shireen Jinnah Colony and enraged protestors blocked the main road and burnt tyres.

There were also reports of aerial firing in the area, however, no injured was brought to any hospital of the city. Unconfirmed reports said that the enraged people made hostage a police official and when this information reached the senior police officials they ordered strict action against the protestors.

The violence continued in the area till late in the night and the hide-and-seek between the miscreants and the police also continued. Traffic remained suspended in the area and the whole Shireen Jinnah Colony looked like a battlefield. Enraged people smashed windshields and windowpanes of about 30 vehicles.

Talking to The News, city police chief, Tariq Jameel, said that police took action when the participants of a meeting turned violent and pelted stones on police. "There was a meeting of Shehwani group. They pelted stones on police and therefore we used force and shed teargas. The mob ransacked some buildings and damaged some vehicles. We have arrested some 50 people on charges of rioting. Now the situation is under control," he added.

He said that none of the policemen or any other person was injured.

However, till our filing of this report police sources disclosed that over 100 people have been arrested in connection with the violence.

Vice President APOTOA, Haji Faizullah, told this correspondent that the association held a meeting to inform its members about a meeting scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) with the Sindh chief secretary in connection with the ongoing strike.

He said that heavy contingent of police surrounded the venue of the meeting and started harassing the participants. "We requested the police to leave the venue but they did not. The meeting ended peacefully and people started leaving the venue. All of a sudden police started tear-gassing and in response some people pelted stones on the police. We do not know who started first," he added.

He alleged that police and rangers damaged windshields of over 50-parked tankers owned by the association.