Islamabad: A close aide to former Pakistan premier Benazir Bhutto was today (June 17, 2004) shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the volatile southern city of Karachi.

Two gunmen, riding on a motorcycle, opened fire on Munawar Suharwardy, a senior leader of Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP), when he was alighting from his car outside a bank, local TV reports said.

The assailants fled after fatally injuring Suharwardy, who was shifted to hospital in critical condition, where he died during operation. Doctors said Suharwardy had received three bullets.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

A large number of party workers chanted slogans against the government after the attack, with PPP leaders saying that it was a targeted killing.

Karachi has been the scene of violent incidents in the recent past. Only in May, more than 50 people were killed in suicide attacks in mosques of Shiite Muslims.

A Sunni religious leader was also assassinated in May, which was followed by more incidents of violence. Later a Pakistan Corps Commander survived a militant attack.

The growing violence in Karachi, Pakistani official say, was the fallout of the military action against al-Qaeda militants holed up in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

President Pervez Musharraf had visited the city two days back and reviewed the security situation.