KARACHI: A senior eye surgeon, who had recently retired as head of the city government health services, was gunned down in a ‘targeted attack’ on his car by armed motorcyclists when he left his private clinic in the Garden area on Thursday evening, said officials. His assistant suffered bullet wounds in the attack, they added.

The Garden police said that Dr Birbal Genani, 62, was shot dead and his assistant ‘Doctor’ Qurratul Ain, 35, was injured in the attack while the car was passing by Good Luck Hall.

The police said the motive for the attack remained ‘unknown’.

The deceased and injured were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said that Dr Birbal had two bullets entry and exit wounds on his head. He was brought dead at the hospital at 6:46pm, she said. Qurratul Ain sustained a single bullet wound on her “posterior aspect of right shoulder” but her condition was stated to be out of danger.

South-DIG Irfan Ali Baloch told Dawn that it appeared to be a targeted attack on Dr Birbal but its exact motive was being ascertained.

He said Dr Birbal had left his private clinic near the Anklesaria Hospital and was on his way to drop his assistant at her home in Soldier Bazaar when armed motorcyclists opened fire on their car.

A CCTV footage showed that after being hit, the car went out of its driver’s control and dashed against a wall.

City SSP Arif Aziz told the media that it was Dr Birbal’s daily routine to drop his nurse assistant at her home.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2023