SANGHAR, Feb 14: A local leader of the Shia Ulema Council, Qaiser Hussain Chugtai, was gunned down by motorcycle-riding assailants in Tando Adam town, 45 kilometres form here, on Thursday.

His employee suffered injuries in the attack.

The late Chugtai`s friend, Syed Manzoor Hussain, who was also a leader of the council, had had a heart attack when he saw the body at the hospital and died instantly.

Eyewitnesses said that two armed men riding a motorcycle attacked Mr Chugtai at the Berani railway crossing when he was returning from Fruit Mandi in his car along with his employee Narroo Bheel.

Mr Chugtai, who was also a fruit trader, died on the spot and Mr Bheel suffered injuries. He was taken to the Tando Adam taluka hospital where he was admitted for treatment.

A large number of leaders and workers of Jamaat-i-Islami, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Pakistan People`s Party, Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz, PML-Functional, Jamlat Ulema-i-Islam and other parties gathered at the hospital and condemned the tragic incident.

They deplored that the killers had a free rein in all cities of the country and the government had completely failed to provide security to its citizens.

The assassins could easily target anybody they wanted on any given day in any part of the country, they said.

Hundreds of enraged people took to the streets and fired into the air, forcing markets to shutter down. They also ransacked private property in some areas of the town and caused widespread harassment.

DSP Mohammad Ayub Brohi said that heavy contingents of police were called from various police stations to control the charged protesters and prevent the situation form getting out of control.

It was premature at this early stage to point out culprits and find motive behind the murder before recording statements of eyewitnesses and heirs of the victim, he said.

The protesters briefly placed the shia leader`s body at Mohammadi Chowk and staged a demonstration.