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Witnesses said that at least four armed men on two motorcycles were responsible for killing Dr Anwar Ali Abidi, 52. "Two of the men stayed outside while the other two entered the clinic," said Wakil Shaikh, a witness. The attackers shot Dr Abidi multiple times before escaping. The victim was rushed to the nearby Abbasi Shaheed Hospital by his family and neighbours but he succumbed to injuries during treatment.
Residents said that the doctor had been running Abidi Clinic within the premises of his residence for at least eight years, since his father, who had earlier been running the clinic, died. "Dr Abidi and his brother had been on the hit-list of militants for a few years and several times in the past, they seemed to be under the radar of suspicious persons," claimed Ghazanfar Abbas, a resident.
Police officials said that the culprits had used a 9mm pistol for the murder; the police also collected the empty bullet shells for further investigation. Paposh Nagar SHO Tahir Ayub told The Express Tribune that the victim was shot twice in the head and neck. He added that, although the investigation was in its preliminary phase, they suspected that it was a sectarian killing. No case has yet been registered.
Paposh Nagar and its surrounding areas have become notorious for the targeted killings of doctors, policemen and political workers over the past few months. In January, two doctors — Dr Ali Akbar and Dr Yawar Hussain — were killed inside their clinics within 10 minutes of each other, apparently because of sectarian motives. A few weeks later, the police arrested a suspect affiliated with a banned sectarian outfit, who had allegedly killed both the doctors. The suspect was later killed in an alleged encounter.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 10th, 2015.
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