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ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's interior ministry said Saturday that mass rioting since the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto has left 38 people dead and cost tens of millions of dollars in damage.
Demonstrators have clashed with police and torched hundreds of buildings, trains and vehicles in the wake of the gun and suicide attack that claimed Bhutto's life on Thursday.
"In two days 38 innocent people have lost their lives and 53 have been injured," ministry spokesman Brigadier Javed Cheema told a news conference.
"At a time when the nation is mourning the death of Benazir Bhutto in a terrorist attack, some elements of criminal mentality have taken undue advantage of the situation," Cheema said.
More than 100 criminals had escaped when rioters broke open jails, he said.
Rioters had also torched 174 banks, more than 900 shops and office buildings, 78 trains and 18 railway stations in the past two days, Cheema said, as well as 370 cars.
"Just imagine, in the last two days the loss to property is in billions of rupees," Cheema said.
However, Cheema said the overall situation was "satisfactory" on Saturday, partly due to the army's presence in several hotspots.
"The situation is getting back to normal rapidly and we hope that in a day or so life will return to normal in the country," he added.
President Pervez Musharraf earlier ordered security chiefs to take firm action to restore order to the country. Paramilitary troops have already been ordered to shoot rioters on sight in the southern city of Karachi.
Cheema also pledged that Pakistani authorities would bring to justice all the "miscreants" behind the unrest.
"I want to say that those who are involved will not be spared... they will face tough punishment," he added.
- AFP /ls
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