Bomb attack targets top judge in Karachi, kills seven

At least seven people have been killed in a bomb attack targeting a senior judge in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, officials say.

The attack took place on Wednesday as Maqbool Baqir, a senior judge at the High Court of Sindh Province, was driving in Burns Road with his security entourage.

“According to initial information, seven people have been killed,” said Sharjeel Memon, the information minister of Sindh Province, where Karachi is the main city.

He went on to say that six police officers and a paramilitary ranger had been killed, adding that nine others were also wounded in the attack.

Bagir was rushed to a nearby hospital with critical injuries, police said. The judge has a reputation for honesty and was a judge for several anti-terrorism courts in the country.

“I can confirm that Justice Maqbool Baqir is critically injured,” said police official Salman Syed.

“The bomb was planted on a motorbike and it was detonated by remote control,” he added.

No group or person has yet claimed responsibility for the deadly attack.

The city is home to numerous ethnic groups and has been hit by clashes between rival ethnic and political factions in the past two decades.