KARACHI, April 7: Armed clash and premeditated attacks in different parts of the city late on Saturday night claimed the lives of three people, including that of a policeman, a prayer leader and a political activist.

The deaths led to an immediate ban on pillion-riding by the provincial administration.

A police party came under armed attack in Sohrab Goth where they were having tea after dispersing demonstrators who had blocked the main Super Highway in protest against the nomination of a former police officer in Thursday’s suicide attack on an SSP.

“The firing left Constable Naik Mohammad dead and two policemen, Syed Abbas and Rizwan Khan, wounded,” Iftikhar Lodhi, a DSP of the area, said, adding that three civilians were injured.

Within an hour, armed motorcyclists attacked people in a restaurant in North Nazimabad, killing an activist of the Pakistan People’s Party and injuring other workers.

The police were clueless about the motive and the people behind the attack. “The incident was reported near Saifee Technical College. The PPP activist, Shahid Arain, died on the spot. Two unidentified injured activists were shifted to hospital. Their condition is said to be stable,” DSP Abdul Rasheed said.

Earlier, an armed clash between two groups left an Imam dead. The area police said 27-year-old Arif Khan was hit by a single bullet in the head during an exchange of gunfire between the two groups near Ghaghar Phatak, in the outskirt of the city.

Under criticism by parties both in the coalition and in the opposition, the Sindh government finally came up with a harsh measure, though a traditional one, in response to the recent spree of killings.  “The government has decided to ban pillion-riding in Karachi for an indefinite period from early Sunday,” said a home department official.