Three days of violence in Pakistan's commercial hub, Karachi, have killed at least 35 members of various political parties.
The French News Agency (AFP) on Sunday quoted an anonymous senior security official as saying the targeted killings by unidentified gunmen began Thursday after police discovered the headless body of a worker from the city's dominant political party, the Mutahida Qaumi Movement.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the killings are the handiwork of those who want to undermine the provincial government and "destabilize the country."
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who visited Karachi Sunday, said he wanted to add his voice to those hoping for an immediate end to political violence.
Local leaders have been increasingly concerned about the spread of violence to Karachi -- which, with a population of 18 million, is Pakistan's largest city.
That concern was heightened after at least eight suspected militants were killed when they accidentally blew up their safehouse in the city on Friday.
Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.