A member of the Sindh Assembly belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and his three guards were gunned down by unidentified militants on Thursday, sparking angry protests in the country’s financial hub.
Police said unidentified motorcyclists opened indiscriminate fire on the vehicle of MPA Manzar Imam near Nishan-e-Haider Chowk in Sector-12-L Orangi Town on Thursday.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the killing through a spokesman.
MQM chief Altaf Hussain expressed his profound grief and sorrow over Imam’s killing but urged his party workers and the people not to get provoked over the incident and urged them to understand and foil the conspiracies of the elements who wanted to worsen law and order in Karachi.
The MPA and one of his guards died on the spot, while the two injured guards breathed their last at a hospital. The slain security guards were identified as Imran, Sajid and Murad. Their bodies were moved to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
Police said four armed bikers resorted to indiscriminate firing at the vehicle, killing the MPA and three security guards.
A large number of MQM leaders, workers and sympathisers reached Abbasi Shaheed Hospital after the incident, as panic gripped the city after the incident. Markets in Orangi Town, Nazimabad, Saddar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Johar, Korangi and other parts were closed after angry protesters resorted to aerial firing.
However, massive jams were also witnessed on all important thoroughfares of the metropolis after the assassination of the MPA.
Earlier, MQM MPA Raza Haider, also from Orangi constituency, was shot dead in Nazimabad in August 2010.
Manzar Imam was elected from Orangi Town after assassination of Raza Haider.
Separately, two seminary students of Jamia Arabia Ahsanul Uloom, 30-year-old Muhammad Harris and 25-year-old Akhter Zaib were gunned down by unidentified armed men near Moti Mahal, Gulshan-e-Iqbal area in the limits of Gulshan-e-Iqbal police station.
The bodies were shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.
As the news of the assassination spread, students of the seminary took to the streets and blocked Gulshan Chowrangi and adjoining areas.