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Death toll rises from clashes in Pakistani city

By Reza Sayah, CNN
Relatives mourn during a funeral ceremony for three shooting victims in Karachi, Pakistan, on August 19, 2011.
Relatives mourn during a funeral ceremony for three shooting victims in Karachi, Pakistan, on August 19, 2011.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • At least 50 people have been killed so far, officials say
  • Karachi battles years of ethnic and political violence
  • A former lawmaker is among the people killed
RELATED TOPICS
  • Karachi
  • Pakistan

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- Six people were killed in Karachi on Friday morning as a result of ongoing ethnic and political violence in the Pakistani city, police said.

The death toll now stands at 50 since Wednesday, officials said

A former federal lawmaker was among the people killed in clashes Wednesday, police said.

Several gunmen opened fire on Wajid Karimdad on Wednesday night shortly after he entered a restaurant for Iftar, the traditional post-fasting meal during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, said Karachi police official Naeem Shah.

Police suspect the gunmen targeted Karimdad, a member of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party.

Officials say the killings appear to be linked to ongoing rivalries between three political parties vying for power in Pakistan largest city: the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the Awami National Party (ANP), and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

Journalist Nasir Habib contributed to this report.