Political violence sparks protest in Karachi

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Pakistani protesters from Lyari, an impoverished neighbourhood of the city.

KARACHI, Jan 12 (AFP): Thousands of people poured onto the streets of Pakistan's financial capital Karachi on Monday to protest at a security crackdown after dozens of people died in political violence.
Security officials say up to 48 political party workers have been killed in Karachi since Thursday, when the headless body of a worker from the city's main political party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), was discovered.
Karachi sees sporadic outbreaks of political violence, reflecting tensions between the MQM-which represents Muslims who migrated from India-the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party, and the Pashtun nationalist Awami National Party.
City police official Mehtab Ali said between 8,000 and 10,000 people participated in the rally. Another officer reported skirmishes.
"We did not stop them from holding the rally. They wanted to go to the chief minister's house, but we prevented them doing so by firing tear gas on them," police official Mohammad Ashraf said.
Meanwhile: Dozens of Taliban insurgents stormed a Pakistani military post in a tribal town near the Afghan border on Tuesday, killing one paramilitary soldier and wounding three others, officials said.
More than 30 militants attacked the checkpost in the mountainous town of Ghanan Shah in northwest Mohmand district before dawn.