LAHORE, April 1: Two motorcyclists shot dead Jamia Al Muntazir Vice-Principal Ghulam Hussain Najfi in Model Town on Friday. Police said Mr Najfi, 65, had left his house-cum-seminary Madressah Sakina Binte Al Hussain in Block Q with his daughter Maryam when the assailants intercepted their vehicle and opened fire on him.

Mr Najfi suffered four bullet injuries. He was taken to the Lahore General Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police found out later that the attackers acted on information given by a vendor who had been seen in the locality for several weeks. Lahore police chief, operations, Aftab Cheema told Dawn: “Apparently, it is a sectarian act.”

“We are in contact with the community of the deceased. We have requested them to be peaceful. We have raised security to avoid any backlash,” he added. Dozens of activists reached the hospital on hearing the news and took the body to the Jamia. They staged a protest outside the Jamia.