Five killed in shooting in Pakistan

Islamabad Oct 9 (IANS) Five people were shot dead on Monday in Pakistan s Balochistan an official said.

Two armed men on a motorcycle opened fire at a vehicle and killed the five occupants comprising three Shia Hazaras and two Pashtuns Quetta police spokesperson Muddasir Hussain told Efe.

The spokesperson added that four of the deceased were shopkeepers and were going to a market to buy vegetables while the fifth victim was the driver.

Hussain could not confirm if the incident was a sectarian attack.

Sectarian attacks especially against Shias who account for 20 per cent of the Pakistani population are relatively common in the country.

Quetta the capital of Balochistan province is one of the most conflict-ridden areas of Pakistan with the presence of armed separatist groups Taliban factions and other rebel groups.

--IANS
ahm/dg