At least 13 people, including a former parliamentarian, have been killed in ongoing¹ politically-motivated violence in Pakistan's southern port of Karachi.

巴基斯坦南部港口卡拉奇目前正爆发出于政治动机的暴力活动，包括一名前国会议员在内，至少13人已死亡。

Waja Karim Dad, a senior leader of Pakistan's ruling PPP political party, was shot in the Lyari neighbourhood.

The attacks happened as Karachi's main party, MQM, said it was rejoining the national PPP-led coalition² government.

It had left after accusing the majority partner of not doing enough to stop violence in the business capital.

At least 300 people were killed in such attacks in Karachi in July.

Mr Karim Dad was sitting in a roadside cafe when gunmen on motorcycles sprayed（喷射，散布） it with bullets.

It was a busy time, with shops having opened late due to the daily fast（斋戒） for the Islamic month of Ramadan ending minutes earlier.

Several bystanders（旁观者） were also wounded in the attack, which killed the former parliamentarian instantly.‘

Reloaded weapons

Witnesses who fled the carnage said the gunmen calmly reloaded their weapons and then targeted another cafe a few hundred metres down the road.

Locals say no police or paramilitary law enforcement personnel were available to confront the gunmen, despite the police station being nearby.

The killings³ were preceded by a grenade（手榴弹） attack which claimed the lives of two children in a nearby housing compound.

Angry citizens have taken to the streets and set several vehicles ablaze⁴, as reports of more attacks continue to filter in.

The killings in Karachi have continued despite efforts to reconcile its warring political factions⁵.

Security officials say this is because the killers⁶ are being protected by senior politicians.

They say the violence is being used to stoke recently ignited ethnic⁷ passions both for political gains and as a means by criminal gangs to fight turf wars behind the facade⁸ of political activism.

Many people say the government is a silent spectator here, as armed gangs run riot over Pakistan's most important urban centre.