KARACHI: Two shopkeepers were killed in back-to-back attacks in Karachi’s Korangi area on Saturday in what appeared to be the part of the ongoing wave of targeted killing in the city on sectarian grounds.

Officials said that armed men on a motorbike targeted a spare parts shop in Korangi No. 1, killing its 39-year-old owner Shahab Hussain.

Barely five minutes after the murder, a roadside pan kiosk in Korangi 100 Quarters area came under fire. The attack left its 50-year-old proprietor Wazeer Husain dead.

“Both shopkeepers were well known in their areas and had no affiliation with any political or religious group,” said Inpector Shaukat Awan, the SHO of Zaman Town police station.

“The only motive which we suspect is sectarian. Both victims belonged to the Shia community and the incidents seemed to be linked with the recent wave of killings on the same ground. We have enough reasons and evidence to believe that both attacks were carried out by the same group.”

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2015

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