Sectarian attack: Official shot, critically injured in Quetta

One of the attackers killed in retaliatory fire.

QUETTA:

The deputy director of schools in Balochistan, Abrar Hussain Ahmed, was seriously injured on Tuesday in an attack apparently motivated by sectarian hatred.

Gunmen opened indiscriminate fire on the vehicle of Abrar Hussain at the gate of the Directorate of Education’s office on Shawak Shah Road, Akhtar Achakzai, the SHO of Gwalmandi police station, told The Express Tribune.

Abrar Hussain and his driver Akbar Hussain were seriously injured in the attack. However, one of the gunmen was killed in retaliatory fire from Abrar Hussain’s guard. Two other gunmen managed to escape from the scene.

The injured were driven to the Combined Military Hospital where medics said “Abrar Hussain was in a critical condition as he was shot in the chest”. The attacker’s body was shifted to Civil Hospital for identification.

The police recovered two 9mm pistols from the site, which they believe belonged to the dead assailant.

“It could be a sectarian attack because Abrar Hussain belongs to the Hazara community,” said police official Mohammad Bilal.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2012.