Saudi diplomat killed in Pakistan

Shooting comes two days after grenade attack on consulate in Karachi as tensions rise between Sunni and Shia populations Gunmen on a motorbike shot and killed a Saudi diplomat as he was driving in Pakistan’s largest city on Monday, just days after two hand grenades were thrown at the consulate building, police in Karachi said. The motive for the attack was not clear, but it comes against a backdrop of tensions between Islam’s Sunni and Shia branches, both in the Middle East and in Pakistan. Saudi Arabia has funded hardline Sunni groups in Pakistan for years, angering its minority Shia population. Meanwhile, Iran has channelled money to Shia groups, and in the 1980 and 90s the country was the scene of an effective proxy war between the two countries, with Karachi an especially bloody battleground. Monday’s attack took place not far from the consulate building. It is thought that the diplomat, who was alone in his vehicle, was on his way to work, according to police officer Zameer Husain Abbasi. He said a 9mm pistol was used in the assault. The victim was a member of the security staff at the consulate, said Iqbal Mehmood, Karachi’s deputy inspector of police. He said the shooting appeared to be linked to last week’s grenade attack on the mission, which caused some damage to the building but no injuries. Officials at the Saudi mission were not available for comment. Pakistan’s alliance with Sunni rulers in the Middle East has come under the spotlight since uprisings this year. A company with strong links to the country’s army announced it was sending 1,000 Pakistanis to Sunni-led Bahrain to help its security forces put down an uprising by its majority Shia, angering Pakistani Shia. The attacks on the consulate and its staff also follow the 2 May US raid in north-west Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden, the Saudi-born chief of the al-Qaida terrorist network. Saudi Arabia stripped Bin Laden of citizenship and has fought al-Qaida, but money from some of its citizens is believed to help bankroll the terrorist network, which has carried out scores of attacks inside Pakistan over the past decade. Pakistan Saudi Arabia Arab and Middle East unrest Global terrorism Middle East guardian.co.uk

Posted by on May 16, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.