KARACHI, March 6: The killing of PPP MPA Abdullah Murad, enraged the party leaders and activists who accused the government of "eliminating an outspoken legislator".

The 42-year-old member of the Sindh Assembly was shot dead, along with his driver, by unidentified assailants in Malir here on Saturday morning.

The killing has been widely condemned also by other political parties and leaders.

Police had to fire teargas shells to disperse a group of enraged PPP activists who tried to block a main road in the city and pelted stones at moving vehicles. Later, the police cleared the road. Train services were also affected for a while.

Abdullah Murad was buried in Malir graveyard in presence of thousands of people from different walks of life.

Chairman of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) Makhdoom Amin Fahim termed the killing 'part of a conspiracy against the PPP'. Deploring the attack, he held the government responsible for the killing and said it would be held accountable.

Mr Nisar Khuhro, leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly and provincial chief of the PPP, reacting to the killing quoted Gen Musharraf's reported remarks that Muttahida was being inducted in the government because it could restore peace.

"We want Gen Musharraf and his government, as well as the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, to explain why has he been killed," Mr Khuhro said, and pointed out that once again human bodies with marks of torture were being found and innocent people, including children, were being butchered. No action, however, was being taken against the culprits, he added.

In a choked voice, Mr Khuhro said: "Abdullah Murad had to be killed because he was active and vocal in exposing the government's misdeeds ... he had to be silenced because he had refused to be bought and was dare enough to take on mafia."

Mr Khuhro said that Abdullah Murad's killing was also part of the regime's policy of eliminating the voice of dissent, if necessary, by force, and installing its cronies through manipulated by-elections.

Declaring a three-day mourning to be observed by the PPP, he deplored that the opponents of the party had gone to such extremes without realising consequences.

The soft-spoken but very firm Abdullah Murad was in the forefront in opposing the illegal excavation of reti and bajri from Malir riverbed and had raised the issue in the provincial legislature. He was also among those who exerted pressure on authorities to make them register the FIR of the infamous Gadap tragedy.

He was also very vocal against the Kalabagh dam and Greater Thal Canal projects, and rights of the people of Sindh.

City Nazim Naimatullah Khan, deploring the MPA's killing, said that Mr Murad had been very enthusiastic legislator who had been taking keen interest in resolving the problems in his constituency. Mr Khan termed the incident 'very bad and dangerous trend'.

The nazim said that Mr Murad whom he knew personally used to write to him on the city's issues. After being elected, he had devoted his life to the resolution of the problems facing his constituency, he added.

Such a person was not wanted by those who killed him, said Mr Khan who attended the deceased leader's funeral. He said those responsible for the killing would not be spared and held out the assurance that he, in his capacity as city nazim, would do his level best to get the culprits apprehended.

In this regard, the nazim spoke to Mr Nisar Khuhro and Munawar Suhrawardy and, through them, consoled the family of Mr Murad.

Mr Altaf Hussain, chief of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, strongly condemned the horrific killing of Abdullah Murad and said no citizen believing in humanity could condone the condemnable act. He prayed for the departed soul and said may Almighty Allah grant solace to his grief-stricken family.

Mr Asfandyar Wali Khan, chief of the Awami National Party deplored the killing and said that his party held a meeting and took notice of the tragic incident which represented failure of the government in protecting life of the citizen.

"A government which cannot protect its citizen does not have the right to be in the office," he remarked.

MNA Maulana Asadullah Bhutto of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, who attended Mr Murad's funeral prayer, said his killing represented failure and incompetence of the provincial government.

He held the Sindh governor and government responsible for the tragedy and demanded their immediate resignation. "People of Karachi don't want to see incompetent people to be at the helm of the affairs. If they were not removed, the situation would further deteriorate," he said, demanding arrest of the culprits.

Chairman of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement Afaq Ahmed condemned the MPA's killing in strong words and said after such a broad daylight killing, the government must have tendered its resignation.

Provincial chief of the Pakistan Awami Tehrik Dr S. M. Zameer said Abdullah Murad's killing was an act of terrorism which had exposed the government's claim of an improvement in law and order.

He also deplored the rising trend in kidnapping for ransom, dacoity, car-lifting and gang-rape, and alleged that the government was ineffective in dealing with such a situation.

Mirza Jehangir Rehman, chief of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf, Sindh, accused the provincial government of failing to provide protection to people. "If the government is unable to protect an MPA, how can it be trusted by a common citizen?"

Chief of Sindh Democratic Alliance MPA Imtiaz Shaikh, deploring the killing, demanded arrest of the culprits and awarding them an exemplary punishment.

Sassui Palijo, a PPP MPA, described the killing as failure of the government, and maintained that common man would now fell more insecure. She alleged that Abdullah Murad's murder was part of the exercise to gag the voice of dissent struggling for the rights of Sindh. She said that Mr Murad was silenced because he had pointed the accusing finger at those who were engaged in illegal acts and murder of innocent people.

The City Peace Group's parliamentary leader, a member of the City Council and Nazim of Jafar Tayyar Union Council, Jafarul Hassan, deplored Abdullah Murad's killing. He said that the late MPA had been instrumental in approving sewerage system scheme for Gharibabad in his union council. He described Mr Murad's death as 'a loss of a reliable friend'. Deputy leader in the UC, Shahnaz Akhtar and other members also deplored the killing.