QUETTA, Aug 30: Gunmen shot dead a judge along with his driver and security guard here on Thursday.

Sources said Additional District and Sessions Judge Zulfiqar H. Naqvi was going to his office from the Government Officers Residence Colony at around 8am when the gunmen waiting for him at a railway crossing in the Chalam housing society opened fire on his car.

The security guard and the driver were identified as Abdul Shakoor and Essa Khan.

Capital City Police Officer Mir Zubair Mehmood said the judge and the two other men received multiple bullet injuries and died on the spot.

The attackers escaped on motorcycles after firing on the car from two sides.

Police sources said the judge was the target of the attack which appeared to be sectarian.

But Mr Mehmood said it was too early to say anything about the motive of the killers. “We are investigating the incident.”

The sources said that the security guard himself suffered multiple wounds and he was unable to fire back.

Police and FC personnel took the bodies to the civil hospital.

Balochistan High Court’s Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa took notice of the judge’s killing and said the attackers should be arrested without delay.

He and other judges went to the hospital and expressed grief over the murder of Mr Naqvi.

According to family sources, Mr Naqvi had received threatening calls a month ago. His mother said she had asked her son to quit the job.

The body of Mr Naqvi will be taken to Karachi for burial.

Police raided various areas and took some suspects into custody for questioning.

The police sources said two teams – one headed by the DIG Investigation and the other by the CID SP – had been set up to investigate the killings.

Balochistan Chief Minister Aslam Raisani condemned the killing of the judge and ordered the inspector general of police to immediately arrest the killers.

The Balochistan Bar Association also condemned the killing of Judge Zulfiqar Naqvi and urged the government to arrest the murderers.