Eye specialist Dr Birbal Genani gunned down in Karachi

• Eye specialist breathes his last in city's Garden area.
• Reason behind shooting still unknown; probe underway.
• Assistant, who was also in car, sustains bullet wounds.

KARACHI: Former Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) senior director of health and eye specialist Dr Birbal Genani was shot dead by unknown assailants in the port city on Thursday.

Dr Genani, according to police, along with his assistant lady doctor was heading to Gulshan-e-Iqbal from Ramswamy when unidentified armed men targeted their car near Garden interchange on the Lyari Expressway.

The ex-KMC director of health died on the spot while his assistant sustained bullet injuries.

After being informed, the police and the rescue officials swung into action and rushed to the scene and shifted the body and the injured to the hospital.

In a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage of the incident, which surfaced on the internet, Dr Genani’s car could be seen moving uncontrollably and smashing into a wall.

'One bullet mark on vehicle'

Talking to journalists, SSP City Arif Aziz termed Dr Genani’s murder as a “target killing”, adding that the exact reason behind the murder is not known yet.

The lady doctor — who works with him — was aboard the vehicle when the unidentified assailants attacked the vehicle.

“Firing started suddenly and I could not understand anything,” the police officer said, citing the injured woman.

Apparently, there was only one bullet mark on the vehicle, he added. The police officer further said that they are recording the statement of the lady doctor.

The police have already launched an investigation into the murder, the police personnel added.

Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori took notice of the incident and sought a report from the additional inspector general of Karachi police. He also expressed deep sorrow over the murder of the eye specialist.