Karachi students protest over killing of Mohammad Shakil Auj, who was known for his liberal views and was in legal dispute

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

A professor of Islam known for his liberal religious views has been shot dead in the Pakistani port city of Karachi.

Mohammad Shakil Auj, 54, dean of Islamic Studies at the University of Karachi, was on his way to an Iranian cultural centre to which he had been invited as a guest of honour.

His car was being driven down a ramp from a flyover when "bullets were fired, one hit the professor in the head and he died", senior police officer Pir Mohammad Shah said. Another bullet struck Auj's junior colleague – whom police named only as Amna – in the arm, wounding her.

Auj, a recipient of a presidential medal of distinction, was known for his unorthodox views and was fighting a court case against his predecessor whom he had accused of circulating a text message that called him an apostate.

The professor issued fatwas pronouncing, for example, that a Muslim woman could marry a non-Muslim man, and that women need not remove lipstick or nail polish before saying their prayers.

Such views can cause offence to some conservative Muslims in Pakistan, which has been battling a homegrown Islamist insurgency for more than 10 years.

"We would tell him to be cautious as he was very aggressive in promoting his liberal views regarding the religion," said Prof Tauseef Ahmed Khan, an old friend and chairman of the mass communications department of the Federal Urdu University.

A police spokesman said: "Police are investigating the case, considering various aspects including personal enmity and other possible motives."

University students held a protest inside the campus demanding the arrest of Auj's killers. They held placards that read "The murders of teachers is a murder of the whole society" and "Security should be provided to the teachers". The university will remain closed for three days of mourning.