KARACHI, Feb 28: A young man associated with the Shia Ulema Council was sprayed with bullets on his doorstep in Incholi on Thursday in what police suspected as part of the ongoing wave of sectarian killings.

The officials said two men riding a motorbike pulled up outside the residence of 21-year-old Danish Hussain, situated in block 20 of the Federal B Area, in the early hours of the day and called out his name posing to be his friends.

“As he came out, they fired multiple shots at him and sped away,” said an official at the Samanabad police station. “He sustained two bullet wounds each in the head and chest and died on the spot. Gunshots attracted other members of the family who rushed out and found Danish lying in a pool of blood.”

The body was later moved to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities Following the targeted murder, tension gripped the locality and businesses remained closed in Incholi and neighbouring blocks of F.B Area.

A Shia Ulema Council spokesman condemned the killing alleging that he was killed by members of a banned militant outfit. He said the victim was associated with the council as an active member. The incident also attracted condemnation from the Majlis-i-Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM). A party spokesman regretted that despite giving assurances to the MWM, the government had failed to stop killings on sectarian grounds.

The police later registered an FIR (27/2013) under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code against unidentified suspects on a complaint of the victim’s elder brother.

‘Missing’ man found shot dead A 30-year-old Khokhrapar resident, who had gone missing on Wednesday morning, was found shot dead in Memon Goth on Thursday, police said.

They added that Mohammad Irfan was found shot dead near Hamal Marriage Lawn in Memon Goth a day after he had gone missing after leaving home situated in the Gilanabad area of Malir for Korangi where he worked as a labourer.

“The victim was tortured before being fired a single bullet in the head,” said an official at the Memon Goth police station.

He said the body was later moved to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medico-legal formalities.

The police said the victim was not associated with any political or religious group.

Muttahida man killed In the Sohrab Goth area, a man who had recently joined the Muttahida Organising Committee after parting ways with a nationalist party was killed in an armed attack near a pharmacy, police said.

They added that 33-year-old Akhtar Gabol was standing outside a pharmacy in Faqeera Goth where armed men riding a motorbike pulled up and fired multiple bullets before speeding away.

“The victim sustained two bullet wounds and died during treatment at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital,” said Sohrab Goth SHO Inspector Naeem Khan.

“He had recently joined the MQM’s sister organisation, MOC, after parting ways with a nationalist party,” the officer said, adding that he was a private security guard by profession.

Man gunned down A resident of Orangi Town was sprayed with bullets in the Manghopir area in the evening, said the area police. They added that 28-year-old Mohammad Shakeel was found shot dead in an isolated area called Murghi Khana. He sustained six gunshot wounds, the police said.

“The victim was a resident of Faqeer Colony in Orangi Town,” said Manghopir SHO Inspector Ashfaq Baloch.

He added: “We have seized 16 spent bullet casings from the crime-scene.

“It seems that the victim had been kidnapped before being brought here and sprayed with bullets,” he said.

The inspector said the victim was not associated with any political or religious group. “The motive for his killing is not yet clear,” he added.