KARACHl: An iron trader was shot dead in old city area within the remit of the Napier police station in what investigators described as a targeted attack on Wednesday evening.

The Timber Market Association hinted that the murder took place over non-payment of extortion and announced that all shops in the market would remain closed on Thursday (today) in protest over the killing of victim Shehzad Jafrani who owned an iron shop there.

Area SHO Sajjad Khan Afridi said that Jafrani, 47, was sitting at his workplace on Mehmood Shah Road when armed pillion riders arrived there at about 4:20pm and opened indiscriminate firing on him and fled.

He suffered critical bullet wounds and was taken to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

The area SHO ruled out the possibility of a robbery bid. He said the victim belonged to the Kachhi community.

The police said they were investigating the case from all angles.

However, Sharjeel Goplani, the president of the Timber Market Association, told Dawn that after the murder an unidentified person phoned from a Dubai number and told victim`s employee Raheel, who received the call, that `we have completed our work and be careful next time`.

Mr Goplani said they apprehended that the trader was shot dead by gangsters over extortion.

He said the victim owned an iron shop in the market.

He demanded immediate arrest of the killers and announced that the market would remain closed in protest on Thursday (today) against the killing of their colleague.