Election Candidate Shot Dead In Pakistan’s Karachi

Islamabad, May 12, IRNA – A candidate for the parliamentary election has been shot dead in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi just hours before the voting in the general elections, police said. Shakil Ahmad was killed in exchange of fire between two groups in Landhi area of Rawalpindi. Ahmad, who belonged to the ethnic Urdu-speaking Muhajir Qaumi Movement (MQM-Haqqiqi), was contesting election for the National and provincial assembly seats. A spokesman for the group said that Ahmad was targeted while he was busy in meeting with the people to get their support. He said that the rival Mutahida Qaumi Movement was behind the murder. The election authorities postponed elections on the two seats on which slain Ahmad was also a candidate. Ahmad was the second candidate to be killed in Karachi in a week. On Friday last, gunmen killed another National Assembly candidate, Sadiq Khattak, as he came out of mosque. His six-year old son was also killed in the attack. Taliban had claimed responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile, a provincial assembly candidate, Allama Nasrulalh Madni, had gone missing in Karachi after Friday prayers, police and family said. Madni was contesting election on the Pakistan Peoples Parry ticker. Pre-election violence continued in Pakistan and several people were killed in bomb attacks and firing on Friday. At least four people were killed in a motorbike bomb attack near party political office in North Waziristan tribal region. Five other people were injured in the blast in Miranshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan. Officials said over 100 people have been killed and 300 more were injured in series of attacks during the 20-day election campaign. Taliban claimed responsibility for most of these targeted attacks./end