Journalist killed as political violence hits Karachi again

Karachi, Jan 13 (PTI) A reporter of Geo televisionchannel was gunned down by unidentified persons here today asviolence and target killings returned to the city once againclaiming as many as eight lives.

Wali Babar was returning home from work when he wasintercepted by some people in a car and gunned down from closerange in the Liaquatabad area of the city.

"We are looking into the motive behind the killing andit is premature to say if this was also a target killing," asenior police official said.

But Geo News channel described the incident as anothertarget killing which has claimed eight lives since yesterday.

Police arrested 12 people today from the Pehlwan Gotharea of Gulistan-e-Jauhar following a search operation afterviolence started from the area on Tuesday night.

Pehlwan Goth has been in the grip of violence for thepast three days after three people with political affiliationswere killed stirring unrest in the area.

Firing continued in the area today as the clashesbetween two opposing political groups intensified.

The clashes have generally been between the supportersof the Mutthaida Qaumi Movement and Awami National Party, theparties which are coalition partners with the ruling PakistanPeople''s Party.

Just before the killing of Babar, a senior leader ofthe ANP, Bashir Jan and his driver were attacked in Gharibabadarea with the driver later succumbing to his injuries inhospital.

At least eight people, including three ANP activistsand three MQM activists, were gunned down in targeted killingsyesterday.