Shops shut in port city after latest attack on party critical of Taliban

(5 May 2013) SHOTLIST 1. High view of empty road, with closed street market 2. Mid of closed stalls 3. Empty road 4. Various of closed fuel station 5. SOUNDBITE (Urdu) Fayyaz Mohammad, local resident: "Every day blasts are occurring and elections are days away, I don't know whether the elections will be held or not? People are scared and fed up, now what would be the solution to this situation? I'm confused, whether this situation will be resolved or not." 6. Close of lock on shutter 7. Closed shops 8. Closed market STORYLINE The streets of Pakistan's southern city of Karachi were eerily quiet on Sunday, as many shopkeepers and residents answered a call to strike by a political party after deadly blasts near its election campaign office. Two blasts late on Saturday killed three people near the office of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which is critical of the Taliban. The attack, the latest targeting the MQM in Karachi, has heightened tensions ahead of the country's historic 11 May election, the country's first transfer of power from one elected civilian government to another. Pakistan has been experiencing a wave of violence connected to the elections, mostly at the hands of Taliban militants targeting various political parties and their candidates. The MQM, the biggest political party in Karachi, is one of three liberal, secular parties that have been targeted across the country, likely due to their support for military action against militants that operate from Pakistan's tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. Saturday was the second day in a row that the party found itself under attack. On Friday, gunmen riding on a motorcycle killed a prominent party activist from the political party. But the MQM is not the only political party targeted in Karachi. Also on Friday, gunmen riding a motorcycle shot to death a parliamentary candidate from the Awami National Party, and his six-year-old son. The Awami National Party has been repeatedly targeted by the Taliban because of its opposition to the militants. No one claimed responsibility for the Friday attacks. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...