Mohammad Hashim Noorzai, the owner of the well-known Kabul Jan Restaurant in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s Balochistan province, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on Saturday morning.
According to police, the Afghan businessman was attacked while travelling from his home toward the city. The assailants fled the scene immediately after opening fire, and security authorities have launched an investigation to identify and arrest those responsible.
Eyewitnesses said police arrived at the scene after a delay, while one of Noorzai’s friends transported his body to a hospital in Quetta.
A doctor at the hospital told Afghanistan International that Noorzai had sustained at least three gunshot wounds. One bullet struck his head, while two others hit his arms. The doctor said the head wound was the cause of death.
Family members said Mohammad Hashim Noorzai had no known personal enemies and had never reported receiving threats before the attack.
Kabul Jan Restaurant is one of the best-known Afghan restaurants in Quetta and has for years served as a popular gathering place for Afghan refugees and local residents.
Pakistani police said the motive for the killing remains unknown and that all possible angles are being investigated.
Following the incident, Balochistan’s interior minister described the killing as a serious matter and instructed security agencies to submit a full report within 24 hours.
Babar Yousafzai, the deputy interior minister of Balochistan, also said law enforcement agencies had been ordered to identify, arrest and prosecute those responsible for the attack as quickly as possible.
