The deceased’s sister also passed away upon hearing the traumatic news. PHOTO: FILE
MULTAN:
In an apparent incident of sectarian violence, a doctor who was also serving as president of the Majlis-e-Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) Rajanpur district was killed on Sunday night.
According to officials, 59-year-old Dr Azhar Hussain was shot twice by unidentified gunmen as he arrived at his residence. When he fell off his colleague’s motorbike, the target killers shot him eight times at point blank range before escaping.
Dr Hussain served as executive district health officer Rajanpur and in 10 other executive medical positions in different districts of Punjab.
The body was handed over to the family after autopsy in the district hospital on Monday. According to officials, he sustained seven bullet wounds to his chest and abdomen.
Dr Hussain was a descendent of the royal Sarayi family of Rajanpur. Upon hearing the news of his death, his 65-year-old sister Zubaida Khatoon also died due to cardiac arrest.
Residents of the district and representatives of major political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Pakistan Peoples Party, Sunni Tehreek and MWM blocked the Indus National Highway in protest, refusing to bury the
body. Around 15,000 people participated in the demonstration chanting slogans against the government for allegedly supporting militant outfits.
This is the tenth killing of a major Shia community leader, including three doctors, in the last 11 months.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 7th, 2014.
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