In two separate incidents of sectarian violence in Pakistan, a spiritual leader of the minority Zikri community was gunned down in the restive Balochistan province while a Shia father-son duo was killed in Karachi.
Syed Mullah Akhtar Mullai, a spiritual head of the Zikri community, was shot dead on Friday in the Balgather Gadagi area of Kech district in Balochistan.
Police said motor cycle-borne unidentified men opened fire on Mullai while he was returning home after solemnising the marriage of one of his devotees.
The banned Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack.
The All Pakistan Muslim Zikri Anjuman condemned the killing of Mullai and said even on September 20 unidentified gunmen had set several houses and places of worship of the community on fire in the Panjgur area of Balochistan.
Human Rights organisations say the Zikri community remains the most persecuted in Balochistan by militants and terrorists.
Earlier this week, with the advent of the month of Muharram, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a bus in Quetta carrying Shia Hazara Muslims, killing four women and injuring others.
In Pakistan’s biggest city of Karachi, late last night gunmen killed the trustee of a Imambargah and his son in the Gulistan-e-Jauhar area.
Mansoor Zaidi and his son Ammar were sprayed with bullets by men on motorcycles and they died after succumbing to their wounds in the hospital.
In Gulshan-e-Iqbal area of Karachi also gunmen opened fire near a Shia Imambargah, injuring a few people.
Soon after the incident, the Sindh government announced a ban on pillion riding until further notice.
