ISLAMABAD, March 17: A local official of Saudi Embassy’s sub-office in the capital was killed at his private residence while the killers took away his car here on Saturday, police said.

The incident took place at the house located in street 90 of sector I-10/1 where Dr Hafiz Abdul Rasheed Azhar was strangulated to death allegedly by his two visitors. Dr Azhar belonged to Ahle Hadith sect and was a religious scholar.

He was also a director at Dawa Academy and an official of Maktab-i-Dawa (religious office) of Saudi Embassy’s sub-office.

The incident came to light when the victim’s son reached home and inquired about him from his mother.

In response, she told him that Dr Azhar had been busy with some guests for the last couple of hours and also took meal with them.

However, the son told her that the car of his father was not parked in the house and on suspicion he went to the drawing room where he found the dead body.

According to police the visitors tied him with ropes and strangulated him to death.

Later the visitors, who had come over to meet the victim on pretext of being his students, took away cash, ATM card and his car.

Shortly after getting the information, police reached the spot and shifted the body to hospital.

Police claimed the circumstantial evidence suggested that he had acquaintance with the killers as he took meal with them.

Although, the killers tried to give an impression of robbery by taking away the cash and car of the victim yet the motive behind the murder seemed something else, police suspected.

Over the killing, dozens of people gathered at I.J. Principal Road in front of I-10/1 and blocked it for traffic.

They staged demonstration against the killing which continued till the filling of this report.