KARACHI, Jan 4: Most parts of the city plunged into fear after the news of assassination of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer was aired by news channels on Tuesday evening.

Traffic on main roads turned thin. Traders pulled down shutters. Many fuel stations were closed shortly after the assassination in Islamabad due to the fear of a backlash. However, no major incident of violence was reported in any part of the city.

A brief gridlock on Sharea Faisal was witnessed when a group of protesters burnt tyres on the artery near Gora Qabristan, said traffic police officials. However, they added, a heavy contingent of police and Rangers forced the protesters to disperse peacefully and brought the situation under control.

“Traffic across the city turned thin after sunset,” said an official at the traffic police helpline, Rahnuma 915.

“A large number of people left their workplaces much earlier than the regular hours that caused congestion on major roads, including I.I. Chundrigarh Road, Sharea Faisal and Shahrah-i-Pakistan. The pressure eased after a couple of hours,” the official added.

The news of assassination caused traders to close markets in different parts of the city.

While most petrol pumps in the southern district of the city were also closed, the few that remained open catered to long queues of vehicles.