Sunni scholar killed in Karachi

Angry supporters took to the streets in Karachi

There has been widespread disruption in the Pakistani city of Karachi, following the killing of a prominent Sunni Muslim scholar Mullah Yusuf Ludhianvi.

Armed supporters of the Mullah have been going through the city forcing traders to close their shops.

The police say they are trying to control the situation but have no idea of who killed the Mullah.

The police say four unidentified gunmen opened fire on his car with automatic weapons.

Mr Ludhianvi's driver was also killed and his son seriously wounded.

Anger

Four men riding two motorbikes ambushed Mr Ludhianvi's car near his house, in Karachi's central district.

He was just a scholar and had no enmity with anybody

Jamal Abdul Nasir

Immediately after the killing, about 800 supporters gathered to protest at the religious school where the Mullah used to teach.

They threw stones at passing vehicles and burned tyres, blocking traffic in the city centre.

They also forced traders to close their shops, firing in the air at some places to make sure they complied.

At least eight cars were set on fire.

The killing also affected the Karachi Stock Exchange, with the share index down on the news of the murder.

Riot police have been deployed in the city and police patrols intensified.

Leading scholar

A correspondent says Maulana Ludhianvi is perhaps the most prominent Sunni Muslim leader to be killed in recent years.

A leading Sunni scholar, he taught at one of the country's largest seminaries, the Jamia Uloom-i-Islami.

He had also written several books on Islam.

"It is sad and shocking not only for us but for the whole Islamic world. He was a great scholar and well respected among all Islamic groups," said Jamal Abdul Nasir, a close associate of Mr Ludhianvi.

"He was just a scholar and had no enmity with anybody," he added.

Mr Ludhianvi had been leading efforts to end the violence between Sunni and Shia Muslims, which has claimed 30 lives in the past five weeks.