Hindu doctor shot dead in Pakistan

Islamabad: A well-known Hindu doctor was on Thursday gunned down by motorcycle-borne attackers in the restive Balochistan province of southwest Pakistan, police said. Doctor Lakshmi Chand was on his way home when two armed men riding a motorcycle fired at him at Hindu Mohalla in Mastung town. He was hit by several bullets and died instantly, police officials said. The attackers fled from the spot after the shooting. Reports said Chand had been the target of a failed kidnapping attempt some months ago and had planned to move out of Balochistan. His body was handed over to his family after an autopsy. Members of the minority Hindu community in Balochistan have been targeted by criminal gangs and extremists in recent months.

Several Hindus, mostly petty traders, have been kidnapped for ransom. In a separate incident, a senior government official was also shot dead today in the province. Unidentified gunmen shot dead Yasir Arafat, an official of the Civil Aviation Authority, in Panjgur district. Arafat was in a scrap market when gunmen riding motorcycles fired at him and fled district police chief Jamil Ahmed said. Arafat was hit by three bullets and died instantly, Ahmed said. PTI