11 killed in Karachi violence, toll reaches 60
By Awais Saleem, IANSTuesday, October 19, 2010
ISLAMABAD - At least 11 people were killed Tuesday evening when gunmen fired at pedestrians in Pakistan’s Karachi city, taking the death toll in four days of violence to 60.
The violence broke out Saturday night, hours ahead of the Sunday by-poll for an assembly seat in Karachi, capital of Pakistan’s Sindh province.
Most of the killings are believed to be the result of political enmity between the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Awami National Party (ANP).
Police said that “the number of casualties could rise as more than 15 injured people have been shifted to hospitals. Firing incidents were also reported from other parts of the city, local media reports said.
The violence that erupted after ANP’s boycott of the election, won by MQM Sunday, has so far claimed 60 lives in four days. The victims of the target-killing included activists of political and religious parties.
The Urdu-speaking Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Pashto-speaking Awami National Party (ANP) have been constantly at loggerheads for the past several years to take political control of Karachi, the country’s financial hub.
The PS-94 constituency was rendered vacant after the target-killing of MQM legislator Raza Haider Aug 3. MQM blamed the killing on ANP, which vehemently denied the allegation. More than 100 people were killed in violent clashes after the assassination.
