KARACHI, Oct 17: Three political activists – two workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and an activist of the Sunni Tehrik – were shot dead and around half a dozen others were injured in a series of attacks in different parts of the city on Friday.

A Sunni Tehrik worker was shot dead after Friday prayers in New Karachi where an MQM worker had earlier been killed in the small hours of Friday. Another activist of the Sunni Tehrik was shot at and seriously wounded in the Eidgah area while another MQM worker was shot dead in the jurisdiction of the Saddar police station late on Friday night.

Tension gripped several localities in the city following the series of attacks on activists of the two political parties, forcing closure of shops and business activities till late hours.

Police said that a 21-year-old worker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement was killed and his associate was injured in an attack outside his New Karachi residence in the small hours of Friday. They said Mohammad Danish was sitting along with his friend, Irfan, outside his house during a power outage when unidentified persons shot at him and fled. He was rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds during treatment, police said.

Later an activist of the Sunni Tehreek was killed and his three associates were injured in a similar attack in Sector 5-E of New Karachi on Friday afternoon.

Police said Farhan was sitting along his three friends, Faisal, Hameed and Farhan Shah, when armed men riding a motorcycle stopped at a paan shop and sprayed them with bullets. The ST activist, Farhan alias Babu, succumbed to his bullet wounds before he could be shifted to hospital. The body and the wounded were later taken to the Civil Hospital Karachi.

Police said an activist of the Sunni Tehrik was shot at and wounded in the Eidgah area on Friday night. He was shifted to the civil hospital in a critical condition.

An MQM worker, Mohammad Farooq, was shot dead by armed men riding a motorcycle in the limits of Saddar police station. The victim died on his way to the Jinnah hospital, police said.

Workers of the two political parties reportedly sustained injuries in incidents of firing in Shah Faisal Colony, Korangi and Orangi areas. The incidents caused panic in the area, triggering closure of shops and other commercial activities.

In what police described as a related incident, a minibus was set on fire near the Kalapul area on Friday night. Police quoting the driver said that unknown persons intercepted the minibus of route (W-30) at gunpoint, got the passengers to disembark and set the vehicle on fire. There were reports of setting ablaze of two other vehicles in Baloch Colony and New Karachi.

Man dies in hospital