LAHORE, Dec 16: Two police teams – one led by the Crimes Investigation Agency SP and the other by Model Town Investigation division SP -- would probe into the assassination of Shia zakir Allama Nasir Abbas who was shot at and killed in a drive-by shooting on Canal Road near Ichhra Canal Bridge underpass late on Sunday.

Police registered a case involving murder and terrorism charges against two unidentified assailants.

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Chaudhry Shafique Ahmad told Dawn that Nasir’s death appeared to be a target killing and it was premature to call it a sectarian killing.He said that according to police information, the victim had not received any specific threat and that he had visited Lahore without informing police.He said the deceased’s driver and a disciple who survived the shooting failed to see the faces of attackers.

The CCPO said police had colleted shell casings and other evidence from the scene and sent them to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency for analysis.

Police handed over Nasir’s body to the people associated with Shadman Qaumi Markaz Imambagh after a post-mortem examination. The body was taken to the imambargh to be brought to outside the Governor’s House for funeral prayers. The funeral prayer was offered by thousands of mourners who had turned the road into a sit-down gathering since Sunday night.

According to the first information report, complainant driver Munawar Hussain stated Allama Nasir left Shadman Qaumi Markaz Imambargah along with Altauseer Butt for Johar Town. When they crossed Ichhra Bridge on Canal Road around 10:50pm, two armed motorcyclists got closer to the car and opened indiscriminate fire.

The firing left Allama Nasir fatally wounded. He was taken to Shaikh Zayed Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds.

A police investigator said police collected seven shell casings from the crime scene and the victim suffered at least five bullets.

He said the victim, who was considered a firebrand speaker, was only allowed to address majalis in Safar, adding he had attended the first majlis in Lahore shortly before the incident. The body of Allama Nasir was taken to Multan by road amidst police escort.

The incident triggered a fresh exercise of reviewing security of important imambargahs, masajid and madrasa and key religious scholars by six divisional SPs of Lahore police.

Earlier, on December, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat Punjab president Shamsur Rehman Muawia was shot dead in Lahore. The CCPO said police had interrogated eight people in the Muawia murder case without any breakthrough.