KARACHI: Five people, including a woman, were wounded when the bus they were travelling in came under fire in a Malir locality on Monday, police said.

The Awami National Party, however, put the number of wounded at seven and claimed that all of them were its supporters, who were returning home from the welcome rally of Senator-elect Shahi Syed.

SSP East Khadim Rind said that five persons, including a woman, were wounded in the firing near Kala Board.

He said that participants in the rally were firing into the air and at Kala Board they exchanged gunfire with unknown persons. Five persons were wounded in crossfire.

The SSP said that the wounded woman was a passer-by.

The ANP took out a rally towards Karachi airport to receive Shahi Syed, who was returning to the city after being elected senator by the Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Assembly, on Monday.

Since afternoon, the traffic police had been diverting the Sharea Faisal-bound traffic coming from different directions, but despite the diversions, serious traffic jams were witnessed on different portions of the thoroughfare.

Due to the traffic jams, several domestic and international flights were also delayed.

The participants in the rally were on motorcycles, buses and cars.

Heavy celebratory firing was in evidence during the rally, which almost paralysed Sharea Faisal traffic causing hardship to road users.

All the petrol and CNG stations along Sharea Faisal had been shut since noon. Similarly some fuel stations located in Malir and on Rashid Minhas Road had also closed their premises.

However, the fuel stations resumed their normal operation after the rally passed through Sharea Faisal.

After reaching near Defence Mor on Korangi Road, Shahi Syed addressed the rally participants.

“We are peace-loving people and have fought against the enemies of the peace in the city and will continue to do so and that no single organisation can keep its control over the city,” said Mr Syed.

He urged the people to support the ANP to end the reign of terror in the city.

He demanded a high-level inquiry into all incidents of targeted killing to trace the culprits. He also advised Baba Haider Zaman of the Hazara Sooba Tehreek to launch a movement for a province in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and not in Karachi.