KARACHI, Feb 16: A young man was shot dead in North Nazimabad late on Thursday night in what appeared to be a targeted attack on sectarian grounds that also left a woman and a seven-year-old boy wounded, police said.

They said 22-year-old Kazim Ali was returning home after pulling down the shutters of the general store where he worked as a salesman when armed riders intercepted him near Wahid Colony.

"According to area people, there were two attackers on a motorbike," said Sajid Javed, the SHO of the North Nazimabad police station.

"They fired several shots and two of them hit Kazim, one each in the neck and chest. He was rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where he died. The firing also left passers-by 22-year-old Nadra and seven-year-old Umair wounded, but they are stable."

He said the victim was a resident of the same area and used to return home at the time when he was attacked. The gunmen used a 9mm pistol in the attack, he added.

"Apparently it is a targeted killing case on sectarian grounds. But a few things need to be ascertained before moving with further investigations," added the SHO.

The Jaffria Alliance condemned the murder of the Anjuman Naujwanan-i-Pakistan member.