Unknown assailants riding a motorcycle opened fire on the car of a Pakistani lawmaker on Tuesday, officials said, critically wounding him in an attack that spiked tensions in the country’s largest and most volatile city of Karachi.
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The attack against Abdul Rashid Godil, a member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), occurred as sensitive political negotiations involving his party began.
Resultantly, Godil and his driver Abdul Mateen sustained serious injuries and were shifted to Liaquat Hospital, where latter succumbed to his wounds during treatment.
It remains uncertain whether the politiican would survive. “The incident happened when talks were going on, which shows cowardliness of the people involved”, MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar said while talking to media after the talks.
Fearing further violence, shops in Karachi closed immediately.
MQM chief Altaf Hussain had earlier invited Fazl to the party’s headquarters in Karachi over a telephonic conversation Saturday.
Godil and other lawmakers from MQM, which is influential in Karachi, resigned from parliament last week to protest what they called a military crackdown against the party and its supporters in Karachi.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in a statement, also condemned the attack on Godil and prayed for his recovery.
The MQM has frequently been charged of applying extortion and homicide to cement its power-over the town by experts. The party has decided to take the dialogue process forward and the next round of talks would be held in Islamabad.
The resignations have not yet been formally accepted by the government, which is trying to get the party to reverse its decision.
The targeting of the MQM figure comes two days after a suicide bomber killed a senior provincial minister who had campaigned against militants.
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The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for Khanzada’s death, stating it was revenge for the killing of a militant commander.
