JEDDAH/KARACHI: Gunmen on motorbikes shot and killed Saudi diplomat Hassan Misfir Al-Qahtani as he was driving to work in Karachi, Pakistan Monday, just days after two hand grenades were tossed at the Saudi consulate building there. Saudi and Pakistani officials have condemned Monday's killing and revealed that Al-Qahtani was the father of a two-week-old girl and was due to end his term of service in Karachi in less than three weeks. The Saudi ambassador in Islamabad told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that 30-year-old Al-Qahtani was tailed in his car by four individuals on two motorbikes as he made his way to work. The gunmen, whose faces were covered, opened fire with Kalashnikov rifles when he was only one kilometer away from the consulate hitting him with four bullets. Ambassador Abdul Aziz Al-Ghadir expressed his “complete condemnation” of the act. “It was a heinous act of terrorism,” he said. “We hope the Pakistani authorities complete their investigations swiftly and bring the criminals to justice without delay. We have informed the Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik of the need to keep us updated on the investigation every step of the way.” Malik also described the killing as an “act of terrorism”. “The Pakistani government condemns this terrorist act,” he told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. “It will make every effort to bring the criminals to justice as quickly as possible.” Malik said that a security team had been set up to provide an immediate report on the incident and that orders had been given for security measures to be stepped up at the Saudi mission in Karachi and to “provide all Saudis in Karachi with protection”. Falih Al-Ruhaili, the Saudi Consul General in Karachi, said that Al-Qahtani's killing was a “faithless and loathsome act”. “He had only two weeks ago been blessed with a baby girl, and he was due to end his four-year term of consular service in 20 days' time,” Al-Ruhaili told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. Karachi Police chief Saud Mirza said that investigations were ongoing and that new information would be made public as soon as officials have reached their conclusions. “Karachi has seen a number of killings of individuals in recent times, and there is a possibility that this murder could have been committed by local gangs,” Mirza said. Security sources said that Al-Qahtani was shot by four people close to the Bahraini consulate, one kilometer from the Saudi consulate. They said the area is home to a number of consulates, official buildings and residences and is one of the most up-market in Karachi. The gunmen fired on Al-Qahtani four times, one bullet hitting him in the head and three striking him in the chest. Al-Qahtani's death came only five days after unidentified persons on a motorbike hurled two grenades at the Saudi consulate in Karachi. Police speculated that the attack, which resulted in no casualties or damage, was in response to the killing of Osama Bin Laden on May 2.
