Pakistani police today interrogated colleagues of a noted moderate Islamic scholar after he was gunned down here, two years after being labelled an "apostate" in an SMS campaign.
Police suspect the involvement of extremist elements in the targeted killing of Professor Muhammad Shakil Auj, who was killed yesterday.
Auj, the dean of Islamic studies at Karachi University was going to attend a function in his honour at the Iranian consulate when unknown gunmen shot him dead on a bridge in Gulshan-e-Iqbal area yesterday.
His niece was also injured in the attack.
The killing may also have happened as Auj had started inquiries into a fake degree scandal in the varsity.
But indications are that might he was targeted by extremist elements due to his moderate views on Islam, SSP Pir Muhammad Shah who is heading the investigations said.
Auj, a respected scholar who had published many books and papers on Islamic studies and was also awarded the highest civilian award by the government had been receiving death threats for a while now.
Shah said two years ago, Auj had filed a police complaint after receiving a text message that threatened him with beheading.
Shah said police had at that time detained a colleague of Auj, Abdul Rasheed, the former dean of Islamic studies as a prime suspect but the case was then dropped.
"We have again started investigating Rasheed and two other professors of the faculty," he added.
Auj who was associated with the varsity for the last 19 years was targeted after his rather liberal views on Islamic issues which are generally dismissed by traditional teachers and clerics.
They included allowing Muslim women to pray while wearing make-up and contractual marriage.
Shah said that a madrassah in Karachi had issued an edict relating to alleged blasphemy against Auj.
The SSP added that following the fatwa, a message declaring the professor as "Wajibul Qatl", or liable to be killed, was made public via SMS.
Blasphemy is a very sensitive issue in Pakistan and mere allegations of committing blasphemy can lead to violent reactions and even death.
Human rights groups say that Pakistan's controversial blasphemy law is often misused to settle personal scores and persecute religious minorities.
