Pakistan Shia scholar shot dead

Angry students and teachers took to Lahore's streets in protest

A prominent teacher at a Shia seminary has been shot dead in the Pakistani city of Lahore.

The scholar, Allama Ghulam Hussain Najafi, was killed and his daughter injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire on his car on Friday afternoon.

The police say they believe the murder was sectarian. Angry crowds took to the streets to protest at the killing.

Pakistan has a long history of sectarian violence between majority Sunni Muslims and minority Shias.

Mosque blast

A female student in Mr Najafi's car was also injured in the attack.

PAKISTAN'S SECTARIAN DIVIDE Shias revere Ali, son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed Pakistan is 20% Shia, 70% Sunni Violence between Sunni and Shia factions began in early 1980s More than 150 people have died in the past year alone About 4,000 people have been killed in total Most violence takes place in Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab Pakistan's schisms

Mr Najafi ran an Islamic school for girls in Lahore.

No one has yet said they carried out the attack. The gunmen reportedly fled on their motorcycle.

However, senior superintendent of police, Chaudhry Shafqaat Ahmed, told the Reuters agency: "Apparently it was a sectarian attack but we will look into all aspects."

Angry students and teachers from Mr Najafi's seminary school took to the streets after the killing, demanding the murderers be brought to justice.

Mr Najafi's colleague, Syed Abbas Sherazi, said the killing may have been retribution for the killing last month of a former top Sunni policeman and four of his guards in the northern city of Gilgit.

Pakistan is mainly Sunni Muslim but about 15% of the population is Shia.

Last month about 30 people died in a bombing at a mosque in Fatehpur, Balochistan province, although both Sunnis and Shias were among the victims.

In January a senior Shia leader, Agha Ziauddin, died after gunmen opened fire on his car in Gilgit.