The alleged hitmen and facilitators involved in the assassination of late Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader and ex-MNA, Syed Ali Raza Abidi, have been identified, officials of Karachi police told Dawn on Thursday.

"The police and intelligence agencies' personnel have solved the murder case of Ali Raza Abidi as investigators have figured out who carried out the killing,” said a senior police officer familiar with the investigation of the case.

The officer, who wished not to be named, told Dawn that at least six persons were involved in the planning, reconnaissance and murder.

“Two of them have been detained while four others are still at large,” he said.

Regarding the possible motive behind the murder, the senior police officer claimed that it was a “political killing”, not a sectarian one.

Another police officer, who also wished not to be named, explained that the “hitmen and facilitators” behind the killing have been identified but its mastermind's identity is yet to be ascertained.

The officer said that Abidi’s murder appeared to be a ‘paid killing’, adding that it is relatively difficult to establish the identity of the mastermind in such cases.

Abidi, 46, was shot dead by armed pillion riders in an attack on his car near his residence in Defence Housing Authority, Phase-V on Dec 25 last year.

Abidi was alone in his car when the attack took place and was taken by his father, Akhlaq Abidi, to PNS Shifa hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

A postmortem examination showed that Abidi sustained four bullet wounds — two on his chest, one on his neck and as many on his arm.