The Pakistani city of Karachi is at a standstill after a "day of mourning" strike was called by a political party to protest against weeks of violence.
Businesses, schools and government offices are closed and buses and taxis are off the roads.Reports say 100 people have been killed in the southern city over the last week in political and gang violence. More than 300 have been killed since July.
Tuesday's strike was called by Karachi's main MQM political party.
Earlier this month the party temporarily withdrew from the PPP-led coalition government of Pakistan after accusing its majority partner of not doing enough to stop the violence.
The government in Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital, plans to carry out "surgical" operations in the most violent areas of the city, according to the provincial information minister, Sharjeel Memon.
There has also been some debate about whether the military should be brought in to restore order.
Violence escalated last week after the killing of ex-MP Waja Karim Dad.
Police say many of those killed were kidnapped first and that some victims appear to have been tortured.
Correspondents say that the killings were initially politically motivated but later appeared indiscriminate. Much of the violence has occurred around the city's deprived Lyari neighbourhood.
Women, children and teenage footballers have been amongst those gunned down and many of the bodies that have been turning up across the city have been stuffed into jute sacks.