KARACHI, Jan 18: Moving scenes were witnessed on Friday at Jinnah Ground in Azizabad at the funeral of the slain Muttahida Qaumi Movement lawmaker Syed Manzar Imam, who was shot dead along with his driver and two police guards in Orangi Town on Thursday.

Besides MQM workers and office-bearers, a large number of people including representatives of several political and religious parties attended the funeral.

Pakistan People’s Party, Awami National Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Sunni Tehreek and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) leaders attended the funeral.

Strict security arrangements had been made for the funeral and burial of the slain lawmaker.

Hafiz Saquib Imam, a nephew of the slain lawmaker, led the funeral prayers for Manzar Imam, Imran Murad, Imran Khan and Sajid Ahmed, the four victims of the Thursday attack.

Following the funeral prayers, the body was taken for burial to the Shuhada graveyard, a portion in the Yasinabad graveyard reserved for the graves of workers and leaders of the MQM.

The three other bodies were shifted to Orangi Town where they were buried in separate graveyards.

Speaking to newsmen, MQM leader Raza Haroon later said that all political and religious forces in the country must be united to root out the menace of terrorism and to save the country.

Condemning the lawmaker’s killing, he said: “We are in a state of grief but our grief should not be considered our weakness. We love peace but we will never surrender before the forces of oppression.”

He demanded that the killers be arrested and given an exemplary punishment.

ANP leader Bashir Jan told reporters that the political forces in the country were united against terrorism and extremism. He said that the workers and leaders of the ANP were also being targeted by terrorists on a similar pattern as they targeted MQM leaders.