Around 50 people were killed in targeted attacks in Karachi during a two-week period in March. Large parts of the city were partially shut down because of the violence. Karachi's precarious ethnic balance has been affected by the migration into the city of tens of thousands of ethnic Pashtuns who have been displaced as a result of ongoing conflict in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, or who have been attracted by economic opportunities. Many of those killed in the recent violence were ethnic Pashtuns. Political activists from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which dominates the political landscape in Karachi, have also been targeted. Pashtuns blame the MQM for the violence, which erupted on March 12th (during the 1990s Karachi was riven by violence between two factions of the MQM). The MQM denies any involvement in the recent violence and has blamed terrorists and the so-called extortion mafia (criminal groups who extort money from businessmen).

In late March shopkeepers in one area of Karachi staged a demonstration in protest against extortionist threats that have been made against them. The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has called for a general strike on April 5th to protest against increasing lawlessness in the city, and, in particular, the rising incidence of extortion and kidnapping of businessmen for ransom. In early March the KCCI had set up a crisis-management unit to monitor cases of extortion and kidnapping. The unit was inaugurated by the federal interior minister, Rehman Malik, but was shut down on March 31st because it was deemed to be completely ineffective.