Accessibility links

Breaking News

Tensions Follow Slaying In Karachi Of Religious Leader


KARACHI, Pakistan -- Students from a religious seminary have blocked roads and burned cars after the assassination of a senior cleric in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi.

The December 3 protests in the key port city were prompted by the killing of Maulana Muhammad Ismail, a senior teacher at a Sunni Muslim madrasah, or religious school.

Police say Ismail was shot to death earlier in the day by unknown assailants as he drove from home to the Jamia Arabia Ahsanul Uloom madrasah.

Police are looking for the motive behind the killing.

It is the latest among hundreds of political and sectarian assassinations this year in Pakistan's largest city.

Karachi is plagued by high levels of crime and infighting among ethnic, religious, and political groups.

With additional reporting by BBC Urdu

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG