KARACHI: A doctor and trustee of an Imambargah was shot dead in front of his house in Federal B Area on Saturday morning.

Investigators said that the murder could be part of ongoing sectarian killings.

Dr Syed Jafar Mohsin Rizvi was targeted when he was reading a newspaper before his residence in F. B Area’s block 12. One of the two riders, the area police said, got off the two-wheeler and fired multiple shots at the 60-year-old general physician before riding away with his aide.

“He was hit by bullets in the head and died on the spot,” said Inspector Raja Tariq, the SHO of the Gulberg police station.

“According to the victim’s family, he read the newspaper almost daily on the bench fixed in front of his house. The family rushed out on hearing gunshots and found him lying in a pool of blood.”

The police found four casings of spent bullets fired from a TT pistol, he said, adding that investigators had come into contact with a few persons who witnessed the incident though from a distance.

“The block where the victim lived has big houses, and the wide lanes remain deserted around 12noon with scarce movement of pedestrians or vehicles,” said the SHO, adding that the investigators would first determine the route taken by the armed riders to connect the dots.

A trustee of Imambargah Aal-i-Aba in F. B Area block 13, Dr Rizvi also owned a tour operating company that arranges visits to holy places in Arab countries.

The police said the victim’s son was in Karbala accompanying a group of Pakistani pilgrims and would return home on Sunday to attend the funeral prayers in Zohrain.

The body was taken to Rizvia Imambargah after medico-legal formalities were carried out at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

The killing drew serious criticism from the Jafria Alliance Pakistan (JAP) and leaders of other organisations, who called the killing  ‘failure’ of the government and law-enforcement agencies.

“The government has failed to end violence and no credible action is seen against banned outfits which are involved in these killings and bent on destroying religious harmony and peace in the city,” said Abbas Kumaili of JAP.

He advised the government to become serious about ending sectarian killings, adding that they were fast spreading the sense of insecurity among the people of Karachi.The police authorities see the recent spate of targeted killings on sectarian grounds as ‘unfortunate’ and find it hard to persuade rival sides to maintain harmony.

“Apart from our efforts to convince the two sides, we have geared up our activities on operational side,” said Additional IG of Karachi Akhtar Hussain Gorchani. “An exercise to spot members of banned outfits has already been initiated that includes scanning of their criminal record maintained by the police and their identities for a decisive action.”