Assassination of senior politician sets off killing spree in Karachi
At least 47 people are dead in Pakistan after a wave of violence struck Karachi following the assassination of a senior politician on Monday. The violence erupted after Raza Haider, a provincial lawmaker and the leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, was shot to death along with his bodyguard. Mobs spread out across Karachi within hours, setting fire to public and private property, including dozens of vehicles. Schools and government offices remained closed as of Tuesday. Most of those killed since Monday have been ethnic Pashtuns, who have migrated to Karachi in increasing numbers from the north. The Taliban are mostly Pashtun, and the influx to Karachi has led to charges by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which controls the city government, and its supporters of a creeping “Talibanization” of the city.