HYDERABAD, Nov 4: In an apparent second targeted killing in less than three hours late on Saturday night in Hyderabad, a former taluka nazim belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Jalil-ur-Rehman, was shot dead by two armed men riding a motorcycle within the remit of the Phuleli police station.

A pedestrian, Sher Mohammad, also received bullet wounds in the attack and was admitted to a hospital and later shifted to Karachi for treatment.

Mr Rehman, 45, was the joint sector in-charge of Sector-B in the MQM organisational set-up. He was targeted near a private hospital when he came out of house. He was pronounced dead in the Liaquat University Hospital, where Medico-legal officer Dr Hootomal said that deceased received multiple bullets.

The assailants pumped five bullets into his body; one of them in his neck, two in the chest and another two in the abdomen, he said, adding that the body was handed over to his heirs after legal formalities. The police said they were yet to reach a conclusion about a motive for the killing but looking into the possibility of involvement of some banned outfit.

MQM coordination committee members Amir Khan and Shakir Ali, Sindh Minister Zubair Ahmed Khan, MNAs, MPAs, zonal in-charge MQM Hyderabad and a large number of activists attended Mr Rehman’s funeral prayers at the Memon Hospital roundabout. Later, the deceased was laid to rest in Tando Yousuf graveyard.

No FIR of the killing was lodged at the Phuleli police station till late Sunday.

Shops and markets in several localities of the city remained closed in the morning but started opening in the afternoon.

Mr Rehman served as the taluka nazim city for a brief period. When his predecessor, Javed Jabbar, resigned from the post, the then taluka naib nazim, Shabbar Ali Chishti, officiated as taluka nazim. Later, Mr Chishti proceeded on leave and being senior presiding officer of the taluka council city, Mr Rehman took over the charge of taluka nazim city.

Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Mr Goharullah and senior vice-president Turab Ali Khoja in a statement condemned the killing of the MQM activist and two members of the Bohra community in the city on Saturday night and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.

They said that police must take measures to ensure protection to the life and property of citizens.

They noted that the killings now took place at trade centres of Hyderabad after Karachi which was a cause of alarm, adding that the administration should take notice of the incidents aimed at creating tension and harassment ahead of Muharram Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) has also condemned the MQM activist’s killing and described it as a conspiracy to create a law and order situation in Hyderabad.

Our Mirpurkhas correspondent adds: MQM MPA Faheem Ahmed Altafi and the Mirpurkhas zonal committee have strongly condemned the killing of Mr Rehman in Hyderabad on Saturday night.

The MPA, the party’s zonal chief, Fareed Ahmed, and members of the zonal committee in a joint statement issued here on Sunday said it seemed that the district administration had failed to check anti-social elements and terrorists. They demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.