KARACHI: A member of the Jamaat Ahmadiyya was gunned down in a suspected targeted attack in the Metroville-II area early on Wednesday morning, according to Mubina Town police and party officials.

Dawood Ahmad, 55, was sitting outside his home with a friend, Shamsher, because of an electricity breakdown in the area, when two gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on them as they rode by, said Gulshan SP Dr Fahad Ahmed.

The victim sustained five bullet wounds to different parts of the body and was taken to a private hospital, where he succumbed to injuries during treatment. Shamsher was hit in the leg and was in a stable condition. “It appeared to be an incident of targeted killing,” said the SP.

“Dawood Ahmed was targeted on account of religious hatred. Thirty Ahmadis have been killed in Karachi and not a single murderer has been brought to justice till now, making extremist elements feel encouraged,” said Saleemuddin, a spokesman for the Jamaat Ahmadiyya in a statement.

He said that certain elements were involved in baseless propaganda against the Ahmadis, which he believed was a ‘basic reason’ for such grievous incidents.

The spokesman said the government had announced that action would be taken against hate promoters under the National Action Plan but the elements who promoted hate against Ahmadis were not only free but were busy spreading their hateful propaganda openly and without any fear. He demanded arrest of the culprits.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2016