KARACHI: Hours after the famed qawwal Amjad Sabri was killed in a gun attack, prominent Shia noha khawan Farhan Ali Waris claimed he escaped an assassination attempt in Karachi, DawnNews reported.

Talking to DawnNews, Waris said his car was surrounded by unknown assailants near the Teen Hatti area of the metropolis.

"They were about to open fire but my guard opened fire upon them, forcing them to flee," said Waris.

"I was not in the car but the manner in which they surrounded the vehicle makes me think that they thought I was inside," Waris added.

He also said he was provided a security guard today by the Jafaria Disaster Cell after Amjad Sabri's murder.

"We searched the area and found no evidence that Waris's car was shot at," said the SHO from the area's police station.

Earlier in the day, renowned qawwal Amjad Sabri was shot dead after unknown assailants fired at his vehicle in the city's Liaquatabad area.

Sabri, 40, and an associate were travelling in a car in Liaquatabad No. 10 area, when unidentified gunmen fired at their vehicle, critically injuring him. The two were shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital immediately, where Sabri succumbed to his injuries.

Farhan and Amjad regularly participated and enthralled viewers together with their renditions of Sufi poetry and Naats in Ramazan shows on local television channels.