A diplomatic official was fatally shot by a private security guard in the premises of the Afghan consulate in Karachi's Old Clifton area on Monday.

The guard opened fire on Third Secretary Muhammad Zaki Abduh in the lobby of the Afghan consulate, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Azad Khan said.

Abduh died of his wounds shortly after the shooting, according to the consulate's spokesman, Haris Khan. "We were working at our office when we heard gunshots," he said. "Everybody was running in panic."

The guard was taken into custody following the incident.

Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal was quoted by an Afghan media outlet as saying that the "firing inside Afghan Consulate General in Karachi has been carried out by an Afghan guard."

The motive behind the killing was not immediately clear. The Afghan Embassy in Islamabad said it was awaiting further details.

However, "it seems the guard had some sort of personal grudge with the diplomat," Azad Khan said.

"We are collecting evidence and will obtain CCTV footage in order to investigate the incident," the DIG said.

Pak, Afghan officials to launch joint investigation

A delegation of Afghan and Pakistani officials will jointly investigate the killing of the diplomat in Karachi, Afghan media reported.

The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said a delegation comprising officials from the Embassy of Afghanistan in Islamabad and Pakistani officials had been formed to probe the incident.

The delegation has been sent to Karachi city to jointly probe the killing of the diplomat, the Afghan MoFA said.