KARACHI: A factory owner and his driver were shot dead in a Korangi locality in an attack apparently carried out on sectarian grounds on Thursday, officials said.

They said that Ishtiaq Shaukat was returning from his factory in Korangi in his chauffeur-driven car when armed pillion riders sprayed their vehicle with bullets near Mohammadi Market in Korangi 3 ½.

He and his driver, Atta Rehman, sustained multiple bullet wounds and were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where doctors declared them dead, said Dr Seemi Jamali of the health facility.

“We are investigating the double murder case from two angles,” said SSP-East Pir Mohammed Shah.

He said that the assailants also took away the mobile phones, a laptop, a briefcase and other valuables from the vehicle and therefore it could be a robbery.

However, the second angle was that the murder might be sectarian since victim Ishtiaq was Shia, he added.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen said that victim Ishtiaq was a founder of an Imambargah in Korangi.

He was also the ‘permit-holder’ of a 9th Muharram procession in Korangi. Every Thursday, he visited the Korangi Imambargah and on Thursday he was also on his way when assailants targeted him, said the spokesperson.

However, he added, the driver was Sunni.

Victim Ishtiaq was father of four and lived near the Cantonment Railway Station area.