Karachi: A senior traffic police officer and a member of the minority Ahmadiyya community have been shot dead in near-identical targeted attacks here in Pakistan's largest city, police said on Monday.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Faiz Ali Shigri was gunned down and a head constable injured after gunmen riding a motorbike sprayed bullets on a police vehicle last night near Laal Flat on Rashid Minhas Road, said Gulshan Superintendent of Police Fahd.
"The gunmen targeted Shigri minutes after he left his home. Both the victims were posted in the Traffic Police Department," Fahd said.
Inspector General Sindh A D Khawaja, who visited the crime scene said that some ethnic group or outlawed organisation might have carried out the attack.
"Terrorists are hitting soft targets. Today's attack might have been retaliation for recent high-profile arrests made by police to smash terrorist networks," Khawaja was quoted as saying by 'Express Tribune'.
Meanwhile, another DSP of traffic police Zafar Hussain escaped a gun attack at University Road. Gunmen riding motorcycles opened fire on his vehicle but fled after Hussain retaliated.
In a separate incident, a 55-year-old man belonging to the Ahmadiyya community was gunned down outside his house in Kaneez Fatima Society.
A neighbour said that four gunmen riding on motorcycles targeted Sheikh Sajid Mehboob outside his house in the gated society.
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has directed the provincial police chief to submit investigation reports, the report said.
All three incidents took place in quick succession and in close proximity of each other. And the same team of target killers might have been involved in the incidents, the report added, quoting a source.
