KARACHI, June 22: Two brothers, both associated with the Awami National Party, were gunned down in a Korangi locality on Wednesday, police said.

They said that four assailants riding two motorbikes targeted the two brothers — Habibullah and Nasarullah — who were taxi drivers, outside their home in Korangi No. 1 in the morning.

“Nasarullah, who was in his mid-20s, was standing outside his house when two men on a motorbike fired at him, leaving him badly wounded,” said Sub-Inspector Raheem Khan, the SHO of the Awami Colony police station. “Hearing gunshots, Habibullah came out to help his younger brother, but two more assailants on a motorbike emerged and fired at him.”

“Both brothers died on their way to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.”

He said that the police found several spent bullet casings that suggested that 9mm and .30-bore pistols were used in the attack.

The bodies were handed over to the family after completing medico-legal formalities. The police were unaware about the motive and the people behind the killings, the area SHO said.

A spokesman for the ANP said that the victims were party activists and associated with the Awami Colony ward of the party organisational structure in the city.

He said that the two brothers were targeted only for their political association. “It’s really unfortunate that the incidents of targeted killings on ethnic and political grounds were increasing after the last week peace talks between parties in the rulingcoalition.”

He said victim Habibullah was the father of three. Both brothers hailed from Mardan and their funeral prayers were offered outside the ANP office in Awami Colony, he added.