Two religious scholars, Maulana Nazar Hussain Fikri of Bhakkar, and Gulam Rasul Klasra were killed and Mazhar Hussain Bukhari advocate who is also journalist in Garh Maharaja (Jhang) injured seriously.
Three unidentified attackers reached in a car there and opened fires at the residence of Sikandar Baloch, District President of banned TNFJ on Saturday when they were sleeping at his "dera" (guest house) in Chaubara (Layyah District) some 150 km north-west of Multan.
When contacted DPO Muzaffargarh Rai Muhammad Tahir who is also acting DPO of Layyah said, "It would be premature to say about these killing whether it is sectarian or an outcome of enmity and we are investigating the case from both aspects," Syed Bahar Shah, DSP Chaubara said, "it might be a sectarian killing because Maulana Nazar Hussain was collecting donations from Shia donors for the construction of a religious seminary in the area and they had no enmity in the area." Severe tension prevailed in the area. Their bodies were depatched to village Nautak in Bhakkar district.
Meanwhile, gunmen killed a Shia man here on Saturday, days after a weeklong curfew was lifted in Dera Ismail Khan, police sources said on Saturday.
The sources said that two masked men on a motorcycle opened fire at Imdad Hussain, killing him at the scene. "The killing took place six kilometres from Dera city, and we are investigating if it was sectarian," they added.
Police told reporters later that Mastullah Khan, the alleged killer of three of the four Shia men, had been "arrested" and was being investigated.
Allama Sajid Ali Naqvi, chief of banned TNFJ strongly condemned the killing of Shiites in Layyah and Dera Ismail Khan districts describing it a complete failure of the government and administration in protecting the lives and property of the Shiites.