KARACHI, July 12: Another office-bearer of the Awami National Party on Thursday morning was gunned down near Mazar-i-Quaid only hours after the killing of two local leaders of the party in Nazimabad, leading to violent protests on Shahrah-i-Hakeem Ibne Sina, said police and party sources.

Earlier this week, three men belonging to the same party were killed in separate gun attacks, including the one on a car of the Sindh ANP joint secretary, in the city.

The joint secretary remained unhurt.

On Thursday morning, the police said, Taj Mohammad, 30, was shot dead in front of Karachi X-Ray little ahead of the Numaish traffic intersection.

The shooting caused a pile-up on the busy road as motorists slammed on the brakes. The attackers escaped on a motorbike in front of the crowd of onlookers.

Soldier Bazaar SDPO Qaiser Ali Shah said that the victim was targeted while he was returning on a motorbike from the city courts where he had gone in connection with the hearing of two cases of extortion and possessing an illegal weapon against him. The victim was rushed to the Civil Hospital Karachi where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The SDPO quoted hospital sources as saying that the victim was shot twice in the head.

Sindh ANP General Secretary Bashir Jan said that Taj was returning from the city courts when he was targeted near the Numaish intersection.

He said someone at the hospital called the victim’s relatives informing them about the incident.

The slain victim was an office-bearer of the ANP old Sabzi Mandi ward, added Mr Jan. Tension gripped parts of the city following the murder, especially the old Sabzi Mandi area where shops and business remained closed during the day.

Additional police deployment was made in the area to avert any untoward incident.

The deceased was a resident of Welfare Society, University Road, said the police.

In the early hours of Thursday, two ANP office-bearers were killed in Nazimabad.

Liaquatabad SP said that both the victims were having dinner at an eatery in Nazimabad No 3 where two armed men riding a motorcycle came and shot them in the head before speeding away.

An ANP spokesman said both the men were office-bearers of the district central of the party’s organisational structure.

The killings had caused a breakdown of law and order on a road leading from Nazimabad to SITE where a few stalls were set on fire by angry protesters.

Earlier, an ex-president of the ANP was killed in North Nazimabad when he was driving alone in his car on Shahrah-i-Noor Jehan.

The murder was followed by a daylong law and order situation on Shahrah-i-Noor Jehan.