KARACHI, March 26: The jailed chief of his own faction of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement, better known as MQM-Haqiqi, Aamir Khan, was released from the Karachi Central Prison to attend the funeral of his nephew who had been gunned down the other day, officials and party sources said.

They said Mr Khan's family moved an application to the Sindh home department requesting the authorities to release him to attend the burial of his nephew, Sabeeh Khan, who was also his adopted son.

The home department accepted the plea and released him on parole.

Amid strict security arrangements, Mr Khan attended the funeral prayers at Masjid-i-Hanifa in Malir Cantt.

However, he was not allowed to attend the burial of his nephew at the Matapan Graveyard, said a spokesman for the MQM-H.

He said that the party chief stayed with the family members for a while and was then sent back to prison.

Aamir Khan's nephew, who was in his mid-20s, was shot dead on Friday evening in Gulistan-i-Jauhar when he was driving home in Malir Cantt.

He was unmarried and associated with the fisheries business.