Assembly deputy speaker killed in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - Deputy Speaker of Northern Areas Legislative Assembly (NALA) Syed Asad Zaidi was killed by gunmen in Gilgit region in north Pakistan, Geo TV reported Tuesday.

Zaidi was killed when unidentified gunmen ambushed his official vehicle. A police official said that one person died on the spot, while the deputy speaker and another man sustained critical injuries in the attack.

They were shifted to a hospital where doctors operated upon the deputy speaker, but he succumbed to his injuries.

The people of Gilgit, Skardu and other areas mourned the killing of the speaker with the provincial government announcing a one-day mourning Tuesday. Educational institutions and government offices were closed and traders shut their establishments.