Death toll in Karachi violence reaches 27

All educational institutions in the city were shut down due to the violence that erupted after two activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement were found shot dead on Wednesday.

More than 30 people,including four police and paramilitary personnel,have been injured in the violence.

Following the killing of the MQM activists,armed members of a group attacked a neighbourhood in north Karachi.

This triggered large scale violence in the central and eastern parts of the city. More than a dozen vehicles and several shops were torched by members of both groups.

The paramilitary Pakistan Rangers arrested 25 people and seized weapons,including rifles,pistols and ammunition during a search operation in north Karachi.

Security forces have been issued shoot-at-sight orders to quell the violence and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has ordered an inquiry into the clashes. Karachi has witnessed increasing tensions between supporters of the party and Pashtun groups in the past few months.