LAHORE: A retired professor belonging to the Ahmadi community died in his car after being shot at close range by an assailant riding a motorcycle in Sabzazar here on Friday.

This is the second targeted attack against the minority community in Punjab in 10 days.

Police said Dr Ashfaq Ahmad, 68, a nutritionist by profession and a retired professor of the Lahore Uni­versity of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, was travelling with his grandson and another relative in the car. They were near Shah Fareed Chowk when the attacker shot him in the head. Dr Ahmad was taken to Mayo Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. His grandson and relative remained unhurt.

Sabzazar SHO Sub Inspec­tor Qaiser Aziz said they were looking for the attac­ker. He said he could not say why Dr Ahmed had been targeted and added that it would be uncovered during the course of investigation.

Soon afterwards, the Jamaat-i-Ahmadiya issued a press release saying that Dr Ahmad had been killed because of his faith. According to the statement, the professor was on his way to offer prayers in the afternoon when he was killed.

Spokesperson for the community Saleemuddin condemned the incident and said it was the second targeted attack against a member of the community in Punjab in 10 days.

On March 30, Malik Latif, a prominent lawyer belonging to the community, was shot dead in Nankana Sahib. A banned sectarian outfit, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, had claimed responsibility for the attack.

Law enforcement agencies later claimed to have arrested a suspect and booked him under terrorism charges.

No militant organisation has claimed responsibility for Dr Ahmad’s murder yet.

Dr Ahmed held a PhD in food and nutrition. He lived in Sabzazar Colony and has left a son who lives abroad.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2017