Saudi diplomat gunned down in Karachi

ISLAMABAD(PAN‘s port city of Karachi, the country’s commercial capital, southern Sindh province, on Monday, an official said.

The diplomat, Hassan Qahtani, was travelling in car from his house probably toward the Saudi consulate when four armed men on motorcycles opened fire at him in Shahbaz area of Defence Colony, Karachi city police chief, Mahmud Iqbal, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

The diplomat died of his wounds on the way to hospital, he said.

Amjad Ali, a witness, said one of the attackers, with a mole on his face, stopped the Saudi’s car and his others accomplices on two motorcycles opened fire.

Pakistan Interior minister Rahman Malik told a press conference that officials concerned would be punished if security lapse found in the attack.

Witnesses said the Saudi national killed was himself driving the car and was going to the consulate from his house.

The shooting occurred days after unidentified attackers threw two hand grenades at the Saudi consulate in the city. No one was hurt in that attack.

Saudi ambassador, Abdul Aziz al-Ghadeer, condemned the attack, saying no one who carried out such kind of attack can be a Muslim.

Pakistanand Saudi Arabia have long been close allies.

Al Qaeda is violently opposed to the Saudi government and has vowed revenge for the killing of its leader, Saudi-born Osama bin Laden, by US special forces in Pakistan on May 2.

Saudi Arabiais the world biggest oil exporter and any signs that it’s security is threatened could move global oil prices.

mrh/ma

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