Hardline Sunni Muslim politician gunned down in daylight attack

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- In a brazen daylight attack, gunmen assassinated a hardline Sunni Muslim politician and four other people Monday, spraying their car with automatic weapon-fire before fleeing.

The motive was not immediately known, but the politician, Maulana Azam Tariq, had made many enemies as head of the outlawed Sipah-e-Sahaba group, blamed for the killings of hundreds of minority Shiite Muslims.

The majority of Pakistan's Sunnis and Shiites live peacefully, but small militant groups on either side target each other.

The gunmen were driving a sport utility vehicle and opened fire as the car carrying Tariq, a member of the national Parliament, was driving near a toll plaza on the southwestern outskirts of the city, said Islamabad police chief Mohammed Akram.

The other victims were a driver and three bodyguards.

Pakistan's Geo television showed gruesome images of the victims lying slumped in the bullet-riddled car amid shattered glass.

Fears of rioting

There were fears the killing could spark a wave of violence in a country that has seen all too much of it in recent years.

Hundreds of Tariq's followers accompanied his body from the hospital to a mosque in Islamabad. Some threw stones at shops; others chanted "America is a dog!" and anti-Shiite slogans. No major damage was reported.

In the southern port city of Karachi, police tightened security, especially around churches and Shiite Muslim mosques.

"The police are on high alert," said the city's police chief, Tariq Jamil.

A top leader of Tariq's new political party, Millat-e-Islamia, condemned the killing and warned of nationwide protests if those responsible are not caught.

"This is an irreparable loss," said Maulana Ali Sher Haideri, the party chairman. In an apparent reference to Tariq's Shiite enemies, Haideri said "it is obvious who did it." He would not elaborate.

Enemies of Tariq's outlawed Sipah-e-Sahaba group also denounced the assassination.

Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moasvi, the head of a major Shiite group, Tahrik-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqa-e-Jaaferia, said the killing had been carried out by people "who do not want to see peace in Pakistan."

Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayyat, himself a Shiite, said he ordered a thorough investigation.

Tariq, a fiery politician in his mid-40s, was detained by Pakistan at the start of the U.S.-led military operation in Afghanistan to prevent him from leading pro-Taliban rallies.

But he won a seat in Parliament from behind bars in October 2002, and was released shortly afterward when a court in the eastern city of Lahore ruled the government had not produced enough evidence to hold him.

Although Tariq denied supporting armed struggle, Sipah-e-Sahaba -- or the Guardians of the Friends of the Prophet -- was blamed by police for more than 400 killings in sectarian violence in recent years. The group also has strong ties to Afghanistan's former Taliban leaders.

The group was one of five militant organizations outlawed by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf in 2002 as he sought to purge the country of extremism and terrorism.

Most of Sipah-e-Sahaba's victims have been Shiite Muslims, but attacks on Christians and Western interests have increased since Musharraf joined the U.S.-led war on terror.

Tariq formed Millat-e-Islamia, or Islamic Nation, in April. Several banned Pakistani militant groups have gotten around laws meant to disband them by simply changing their names.

Since his release from prison, Tariq had become a supporter of the government of Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali, a Musharraf ally.

Tariq's funeral will be held outside the parliament Tuesday.