Hindu doctor shot dead in Karachi

Dr Pritam Lakhwani was returning home from his clinic when he came under attack

KARACHI: A 56-year-old doctor from the Hindu community was shot dead outside his clinic by unidentified men in Pak Colony at around 11pm on Thursday. The police have yet to determine the motive behind the incident.

The deceased, identified as Dr Pritam Lakhwani, was a general physician who ran a clinic near Bara Board in Pak Colony for the last 15 years. "He was returning home after shutting down his clinic as per routine when he came under attack," Lakhwani's young son, Rakesh Kumar told The Express Tribune.



"Someone called me from my father's cellphone and informed me that he had been killed," shared Rakesh. The victim's son said that his father had no personal enmity nor had he received any threats.

Lakhwani, a resident of Garden East, was shot once in his chest. He was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medical treatment from where his family took him to Aga Khan University Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on Friday.

The doctor's clinic was located in a residential area and the incident occurred when there was a power failure in the area, however, it has yet to be ascertained who was behind the incident, said the police, who believe it was a targeted attack. "No one saw the culprit or culprits. We [the police] don't even know whether there was more than one culprit," said police officer Muhammad Hasnain. Senior police officials have suspended Pak Colony SHO Musarrat Malik over the incident.



An FIR No 144/16 on behalf of victim's complaint against unidentified persons has been registered by the police and further investigation is under way.

MNA Perwani to submit call attention in NA 

Meanwhile, Muttahida Qaumi Movement minority MNA Sanjay Perwani termed the killing of Lakhwani 'religiously motivated murder'. He plans to submit a call-attention notice in National Assembly on August 8 over the issue. "Dr Lakhwani had asked his assistant to bring a balance card for his cellphone and, when the assistant went away, someone came over there and shot him," said Perwani, adding that there was no evidence of theft to suggest some other motive. 

With additional input from our
correspondent in Islamabad

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6^th, 2016.