Pakistani doctors strike over murders

More than 70 doctors have been murdered in Karachi over the last 10 years, a medical group says

KARACHI, Pakistan -- Doctors in the Pakistani port city of Karachi have gone on a one-day strike to protest against the recent murders of their colleagues.

The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) said it called Monday's strike at all hospitals in Karachi, but emergency care would continue.

More than 70 doctors have been murdered in Karachi over the last 10 years, according to the PMA.

They suspect the doctors are victims of sectarian strife between militants of the majority Sunni and minority Shi'ite sects of Islam, which has claimed hundreds of lives in the past decade.

Police believe assassins target doctors because of their high profile jobs.

Doctors staged a similar strike on March 13.

'Targeted killings'

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"We are deeply worried about the safety of doctors. They are the victims of targeted killings every other week," PMA official Shershah Syed told Reuters news agency.

"A large number of doctors are migrating to other countries because of security problems. We are observing a one-day strike so that the authorities can feel their responsibility."

Witnesses said privately-owned clinics and hospitals in the volatile city were closed, while doctors were providing emergency services at state-owned hospitals.

"If it does not wake up now, the government will soon find the country deprived of doctors, particularly specialists," the PMA said in a statement.

Other targets of assassins in recent years have included lawyers and other professionals. Few attackers are caught and there is normally no claim of responsibility for the killings.