Pakistan’s former lawmaker shot dead in Karachi

Karachi: Pakistan’s former lawmaker Syed Ali Raza Abidi was shot dead by unidentified gunmen outside his home in Karachi, the latest in a series of attacks targeting political leaders in the southern port city.
Two armed men on a motorbike opened fire on the former Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) lawmaker’s car outside his house in Khayaban-e-Ghazi neighbourhood in Karachi Tuesday night, Dawn newspaper reported.
The 46-year-old entrepreneur-turned-politician was shot at point-blank range, the paper said. Abidi was alone in his car at the time of the attack. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
According to the post-mortem examination, Abidi sustained four bullet wounds — two in his chest and one each in his neck and arm, the paper said. Counter-Terrorism Department officer-in-charge of the Transnational Terrorism Intelligence Group (TTIG) Raja Umer Khattab said that the attackers appeared to be expert at target killings as they had targeted Abidi within a span of just 10 seconds, the paper reported.
His funeral prayers were offered on Wednesday at the Imambargah Yasrab and attended by relatives, friends, and political and social figures, including MQM leaders Farooq Sattar, Khawaja Izharul Hassan and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. Prime Minister Imran Khan, President Arif Alvi and senior political others condemned Abidi’s murder. Abidi’s bodyguard, Qadeer, has been arrested. (PTI)