Saudi diplomat dead in Karachi shooting

KARACHI: A Saudi diplomat Hassan al-Khatani is killed in a drive-by shooting near the consulate in Karachi on Monday,the second attack on Saudi interests came just days after two hand grenades were tossed at the consulate building, exploding but not hurting anyone in Pakistan's business city in less than a week,officials reports.

Pak official said,motive of the attack was not immediately clear, but authorities said they were investigating whether it was connected to the death of Saudi-born Osama bin Laden, killed by US forces in Pakistan on May 2.An official from the media section of the Saudi embassy identified the man as a Saudi diplomat. Karachi police named him as Hassan al-Khatani.Police authorities said that the Saudi had been driving a vehicle with diplomatic plates when two motorcycle riders unleashed a hail of gunfire at a crossroads in Defence."The consulate employee died of multiple bullet wounds on the spot," said Inspector General of Sindh Police Fayyaz Ahmad Leghari."The attackers fled on the motorbike," he added. "At this moment, we can't say who killed him," Leghari said.

Pakistan Provincial home ministry official Sharfuddin Memon identified the dead man as a junior officer at the consulate."We are investigating if it was linked to the Abbottabad operation or was an isolated incident," he said.Last Wednesday, drive-by assailants threw two grenades at the consulate in Karachi in what officials said could have been reaction to bin Laden's death.There was no claim of responsibility for the attack up-til now.Officials of the Saudi Arabia condemned the grenade assault a "terror attack" and said it had "full confidence" in Pakistan's ability to arrest the assailants, bring them to justice and provide the necessary protection to the Saudi mission. Media agencies