KARACHI: A senior Pakistan Peoples Party worker, whose brother had been killed a few years ago, was shot dead in a targeted attack in Gulshan-i-Iqbal on Monday, said the Aziz Bhatti police.

PPP PS-118 constituency president Ehsan Danish, 35, who belonged to the Shia community, was travelling in a car when armed pillion riders attacked him near Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Park in Block-10, the police said.

PS-118 comprises whole of the now defunct Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town except for blocks 11 and 14. Some parts of Dalmia and Shanti Nagar are also part of the constituency.

Senior cashier at an MCB branch in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Mr Danish usually left the bank at 4.45pm but on Monday he left an hour earlier, said Gulshan SP Abid Qaimkhani. He drove for around a kilometre and his car was under the NIPA bridge when he was attacked by two suspects riding a motorcycle. They opened fire on the car and fled.

The police said the body was later shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for a post-mortem examination. They added that police investigators collected six cartridges fired from 0.9mm pistol from the crime scene.

“It appeared to be a targeted killing case,” said the Gulshan SP. He explained that the investigators were focusing on two aspects. The motive for the murder could be political or sectarian, he said, adding that the victim hailing from Gilgit belonged to the Shia community.

The police said the victim was a resident of Dalmia.

“Ehsan Danish’s killing is part of targeted killing of political workers, professionals and others in the city,” said Karachi PPP division leader Latif Mughal. He added that the victim’s brother, Ramzan Danish, had been shot dead a few years ago.

Around 650 PPP workers have been killed in the metropolis during the past five to six years, according to the ruling party leader.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2015

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