Saudi diplomat shot dead in Karachi

Karachi, May 16 (AP): Gunmen on a motorbike shot and killed a Saudi diplomat as he was driving in Pakistan’s largest city today, just days after two hand grenades were tossed at the Arab state’s consulate building, police in Karachi said.

The police believe the primary motive was sectarian tension between Islam’s Sunni and Shia branches. But the attack also follows the killing of Saudi-born Osama bin Laden in an American raid on May 2.

Al Qaida is a fierce opponent of the Saudi regime and has sworn revenge for the death of Osama. But no one immediately claimed responsibility for the diplomat’s slaying.

A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, the country’s most high profile militant group, called the Associated Press to say it did not kill the diplomat.

The spokesman, Ahsanullah Ahsan, added: “Although we believe Saudi Arabia is an even bigger slave to America than Pakistan, we are not involved in today’s killing.”

Tariq Dharejo, a police investigator in Karachi, said officers believe the shooting was motivated by anger over Saudi Arabia’s decision to send troops to Bahrain to quell protests by Shias, who comprise 70 per cent of the population there but are excluded from key positions in the Sunni-dominated government. Saudi Arabia is almost entirely Sunni.

Sunni-Shia tensions trace back to a seventh century dispute over the true heir to Prophet Mohammad.

Today’s attack took place not far from the consulate building. The diplomat — who was driving a silver Toyota Corona and was alone — appeared to be on his way to work, said police officer Zameer Husain Abbasi. He said a 9 mm pistol was used in the assault.

The victim, identified as Hasan Khattani, was a member of the security staff at the consulate, said Iqbal Mehmood, Karachi’s deputy inspector of police. He said the shooting was carried out by two men on a motorbike and appeared to be linked to last week's grenade attack on the mission, which caused some damage but no injuries.

The Saudi foreign ministry condemned the diplomat's killing and said in a statement issued today that Saudi Arabia has asked Pakistani authorities to increase security measures around the Saudi embassy and consulate in Pakistan. Prince Saudi al-Faisal, the statement said, gave condolences to the family.