Six men, including five associated with the proscribed Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) were gunned down in Karachi on Friday, officials said.

Three men were shot in the Shafiq Mor area of North Karachi, Central SSP Muqadas Haider said.

The senior officer added that all three men appeared to be 'religious scholars'.

Separately, two men were shot and wounded critically near Fatima Bai Hospital in Patel Para area of Jamshed Quarters police.

“They were transported to Civil Hospital Karachi where doctors pronounced Mohammed Amin, 30, as dead on arrival,” said Senior Medico-Legal officer Dr. Qarar Ahmed.

An ASWJ spokesman claimed all five victims were associated with the banned group.

He added that the men were returning after attending a rally at Nagan Chowrangi. He identified one of the deceased as Maulana Usman Haidery.

However, police officials said they were not affiliated with ASWJ and were part of a Deoband group.

Prayer leader shot dead

A prayer leader was shot dead in Karachi’s North Nazimabad area on Friday evening, according to police officials.

"Prayer leader identified as Shafiq Rehman, 30, was feeding pigeons in Block-H of North Nazimabad when armed pillion riders attacked him," said Hyderi Market SHO, Zulfiqar Haider.

"The victim was a Pesh Imam (prayer leader) of small mosque located at ground floor of multi-storey Al-Hamra apartment in North Nazimabad, however, his association with any religious party could not be ascertained immediately," Zulfiqar added.

Sindh Chief minister Murad Ali Shah took serious notice of firing incidents in the city and made telephone contact with the Karachi police chief and the additional inspector general of the CTD and directed immediate action be taken.