Islamabad, March 31, IRNA – Violence continued in the Pakistani port city of Karachi as eight more people were killed in overnight target attacks, police and doctors said on Saturday

Police said death toll from political and ethnic attacks reached 20 in 24 hours as paramilitary troops and police conducted raids in disturbed areas and arrested nearly 75 people. A police guard was among those killed in the overnight attacks.

Fresh violence erupted late Friday night when gunmen in a car and riding motorcycles opened fire and killed father and his son at Banaras Bridge area.

The incident sparked violence and firing was reported in several parts of the city, claiming five more lives overnight. A 40-year man was shot dead in the incident.

The powerful ethnic group Mutahida Qaumi Movement or MQM claimed that Urdu-speaking people were targeted in the attack.

The ethnic Pashtoon group, Awami National Party (ANP) said that its local leader Hidayatullah Mehsud was shot dead in Mangophir area of Karachi late Friday night. This was the second targeted killing of ANP workers in over 48 hours.

Rivals MQM and ANP blamed each other of target killings of their supporters.

STRIKE: Life in Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh province, and several other main cities, came to a standstill on Saturday as all major markets were closed and public transport off the roads as the MQM had called for mourning day.

The MQM chief Altaf Hussain in a message called for a day of mourning on Saturday.

He urged the business community to support his call by keeping their businesses shut.

The main alliance of the traders had decided to pull their shutter down in the city of nearly 20 million people, a business leader said. All patrol and CNG stations were also closed fearing attacks, the petroleum dealers association said.

All private educational institutions were also closed and the Private School Management Association warned to close all private schools for a week if peace did not return to the city.

The Sindh High Court took notice of the deteriorated law and order situation in Karachi and sought a report from the head of the paramilitary forces, Rangers and the provincial police chief.

The Chief Justice asked the officials to explain as to why the law enforcement agencies have failed to check lawlessness.

Angry people burnt tyres in different parts of the city Saturday morning, disrupting flow of traffic.

The Rangers and police conducted house-to-house search in Kati Pahari, Qasba Colony, and Bukhari Colony areas and rounded up dozens of people for questioning. A police source said that arms were also recovered from several houses.

President Asif Ali Zardari has issued directives for a crackdown on target killers, presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.

The MQM says that all law enforcement agencies have failed to ensure peace in Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh province.