KARACHI, Aug 29: A prayer leader was gunned down apparently in a sectarian attack in Jamshed Quarters on Thursday, police said.

They added that Maulana Abdullah Nadeem Farooqi, 62, was targeted inside his office situated adjacent to Rahmania Mosque in Fatima Jinnah Colony, Jamshed Road-3.

Two armed men riding a motorcycle pulled up near the office of the prayer leader, a police official said. He added that one of them disembarked from the bike and fired multiple shots at Maulana Farooqi from a close range in his office before fleeing.

The prayer leader, who also ran a seminary, died before any medical aid could be provided to him, the police said.

“He most likely fell victim to the ongoing sectarian killings,” said SP (Gulshan) Muqadas Hyder who is also SP in charge of Jamshed.

He said the late prayer leader belonged to the Deobandi school of thought and had no known affiliation with any particular party.

‘PPP activist’ killed in Qasba

A young man was shot dead in Qasba Colony on Thursday, according to the Pirabad police.

They said that Ali Jehangir was gunned down over a trivial issue. Pirabad SHO Abdul Moid claimed that Ali was killed over the installation of an illegal electricity connection in the area.

However, Karachi division PPP spokesperson Latif Mughal said in a statement that Mr Jehangir had been associated with the PPP and was killed by “terrorists”. He said that two other PPP workers, Noman and Wahid, also sustained bullet wounds and were admitted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

The Pirabad SHO insisted that nobody was wounded.

Two friends killed in Orangi

Two friends, both former activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, were gunned down in an attack in Orangi, police said.

Syed Naushad Ali, 35, and Syed Arshad Hussain, 24, were riding a motorcycle when they were attacked on the main Shahrah-i-Orangi in Sector 12-M, the police said. The attackers sped away as the victims sustained multiple bullet wounds. They were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where doctors pronounced them dead on arrival.

“Both the victims were suspended activists of Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s unit-118,” said Orangi SHO Ghulam Nabi Afridi.

The SHO said Naushad, father of five, worked at a cloth factory. He added that Arshad, father of four, worked at a private bank for loan recoveries.

Both were residents of Mansoor Nagar, the police officer said, adding that Arshad had recently shifted to Buffer Zone.

Teenager shot dead in Kalri

A teenager was shot dead in Agra Taj Colony, police said.

They added that the bullet-riddled body of 18-year-old Shahbaz Rehman Kutchhi was found on Fida Hussain Sheekha Road late Wednesday night.

Kalri SHO Zulfiqar Marri said the victim had left his residence in Agra Taj at around 8pm.

One shot dead, another wounded in Kharadar

A young man was shot dead while his neighbour sustained critical bullet wounds in Kharadar on Thursday night, said the police.

Mohammed Ali, 35, and Javed Ibrahim, 50, were standing near Jamia Khatri mosque when two gunmen riding a motorcycle attacked them. Mr Ali sustained a single bullet wound to his head while Mr Ibrahim received multiple bullet injuries on his neck, said Kharadar DSP Iftikhar Lodhi. Both were shifted to the Civil Hospital Karachi where doctors pronounced Mr Ali as dead.

“Mohammed Ali was a former activist of the Sunni Tehreek who had now developed ties with the banned Peoples Amn Committee,” claimed Kharadar SHO Azam Khan.

Both deceased and the wounded lived in the same apartment in Kharadar, he added.

Rickshaw driver killed

A young rickshaw driver was gunned down in Saudabad on Thursday, police said.

They added that Nayab Baloch was killed in his rickshaw at the Baraf Khana stop in a drive-by shooting. A passerby, Raja Mian, also sustained bullet wounds in his leg in the firing, said Saudabad SHO Mohammed Ali.

He said the victim had shifted to Malir from Lyari.

Body found in Garden

The body of a young man was found in Garden on Thursday night, according to the police.

They said that the corpse, bearing a single bullet wound to the head, was recovered near Kashti Chowk in Dhobi Ghat area, said Garden SHO Imdad Khowaja. He said that the victim wore a green T-shirt and jeans and his identity could not be ascertained immediately.

The body was shifted to the Civil Hospital Karachi.