QUETTA, Pakistan, July 14 (UPI) -- A former parliamentarian and local party official was assassinated in southwestern Pakistan Wednesday by unidentified gunmen, police say.
Habib Jalib Baloch was gunned down by three men on motorcycles when he walked out of his home in Quetta, the Press Trust of India reports.
Baloch was a former member of the Pakistani Senate and secretary general of the Balochistan National Party.
A lawyer by profession, Baloch was highly respected by the political leadership in Pakistan, the Press Trust of India says. News of his killing sparked protests that forced the closing of shops and businesses in the city.
Authorities closed Balochistan University for two days as a precautionary measure.
Police say Baloch's assassination may be the latest in a series of targeted killings that have rocked Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province.
