Pakistan: Suspected political violence kills 25 in Karachi

(October 17, 2010)
Gunmen have killed at least 25 people in Karachi in the past 24 hours, raising tensions in Pakistan's largest city as voters cast ballots Sunday to replace a provincial lawmaker murdered in August.

Karachi police Chief Fayyza Leghari said they cannot say whether all the killings were politically motivated or some gangs were involved because the killings took place in different parts of the city and were not confined to the area where the elections were being held.

The two parties most linked to violence in Karachi - the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM)and the Awami National Party (ANP) - have their electoral bases in different ethnic groups that make up a large chunk of the city's population. Both parties were competing for Haider's vacant seat, but the ANP announced Saturday evening that it would boycott the election, saying the MQM would rig the vote. The shootings began around the time the ANP made its announcement.

The rising tension between the MQM and the ANP represents a serious danger to stability in Karachi, a city of some 16 million people and Pakistan's commercial hub.