At least 88 people have been killed in Karachi in the past five days as a wave of violence has hit the port city. Karachi police official Naeem Shah told CNN three more deaths were reported Saturday.

As authorities struggle to quell the violence, Karachi police and paramilitary forces have been given orders to shoot on sight gunmen responsible for the bloodshed, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Authorities have also deployed at least 1,000 members of the paramilitary force the Frontier Corps to try to restore calm in the badly affected neighborhoods.

In areas hardest hit by the violence, families have huddled indoors, afraid to go outside and quickly running out of food.

Karachi has long had a history of violence thanks to links between political leaders and organized crime gangs. Rival gangs fighting over prime real estate have also fueled the violence, the Los Angeles Times states.

This week's clashes have been blamed on a rivalry between two main political parties, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Awami National Party, CNN reports. Political lines in Karachi often mirror ethnic lines.

"The Muttahida Qaumi Movement mostly represents Urdu-speaking people who migrated to Pakistan from India during partition in 1947, while the Awami National Party represents Pashto speakers, more of whom are moving to Karachi from northwest Pakistan in search of jobs. Violence between supporters of the two parties and other turf wars in Karachi have killed hundreds in recent years," it states.

A top leader in the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Raza Haroon, told the Los Angeles Times the party rivalry is not to blame for the violence. Instead, fingers should be pointed at the government, which has failed to provide adequate security in Karachi.

"The government or police cannot relieve themselves from their responsibility by saying that this is a fight between two parties or groups," he said. "It's the responsibility of the government and security forces to find out who these people are and what their objectives are."

Leaders of his party declared Friday a day of mourning in Karachi, and many businesses therefore shut and roads were deserted.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan says that 1,138 people were killed in Karachi in the first six months of this year. However, this week's violence has been the most sustained.

“It is extremely disturbing,” Zohra Yusuf, the chairwoman of the commission, told the New York Times. “The absence of law enforcement agencies is very clear. It seems to be a poor response from the government.”