KARACHI, Sept 14: A young man was shot dead and his friend was wounded in what police described as a sectarian attack on the outskirts of Malir on Friday morning.

Following the killing, tension gripped parts of Malir, particularly Jaffar-i-Tayyar Society where the victims resided, with shops and markets remaining closed throughout the day.

A duty officer at the Sharafi Goth police station said that Mohammad Ali and his friend, Mohammad Nawaz, were passing through Sharea Altaf while heading to work in Korangi Industrial Area at around 8:45am when they were fired at by armed men riding a motorbike.

The attackers, who were apparently following the two friends, sped away after firing at them on a deserted portion of the road, the official said.

He said both victims, in their mid-20s, were rushed to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where Mohammad Ali was pronounced dead. Nawaz was admitted for treatment, the police official said.

Following the medico-legal formalities at the hospital, the funeral prayer of Mohammad Ali was offered at the Markazi Imambargah Jaffar-i-Tayyar Society and he was buried in the Wadi-i-Hussain graveyard.

“So far the killing seems to be sectarian in nature, as no other ostensible motive has come to fore,” said DIG (east) Shahid Hayat.