Pakistani scholar shot dead after leaving mosque: Report
What's the story
Mufti Shah Mir, a prominent Pakistani scholar closely associated with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F), has been shot dead in Balochistan province.
The incident happened in Turbat town of Kech on Friday night, reported The Dawn newspaper.
Mir was shot by unidentified assailants when he was leaving a mosque after night prayers.
Mir was alleged to be close to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence.
Attack details
Assailants on motorcycles opened fire
Armed men on motorcycles opened fire on Mir, leaving him seriously injured.
He was rushed to Turbat Hospital immediately but succumbed to injuries sustained from multiple bullet wounds.
According to NDTV, Mir may have had a hand in the "abduction" of Kulbhushan Jadhav, a retired Navy officer who ran a business in Iran's Chabahar.
Jadhav is currently on death row in Pakistan after being convicted of spying by a military court in 2017.
JUI-F connections
Mir had previously survived 2 assassination attempts
Mir had earlier survived two attempts on his life, indicating the growing peril for religious leaders in Pakistan.
His murder comes only days after two JUI-F leaders were shot dead in Khuzdar, reiterating the persistent risk for those affiliated with the political party.
The JUI (F) is the largest faction that split from the original JUI in 1980. This division was due to a disagreement over the policy of Pakistani president Zia-ul-Haq, who supported Mujahideen outfits during the Afghanistan war.