QUETTA Unidentified armed persons assassinated Balochistan Education Minister Shafiq Ahmed Khan and seriously wounded his relative on Sunday while Baloch Liberation United Front (BLUF) has accepted the responsibility for the killing. According to police sources, provincial Education Minister and PPP leader Shafiq Ahmed along with father-in-law of his brother arrived his residence at Toghi Road when two assailants riding a bike opened indiscriminate fire on them with automatic weapons as they were getting out of their vehicle. As a result, both sustained bullet wounds and were rushed to Civil Hospital where doctors pronounced the minister as dead. Shafiq Ahmed Khan received a bullet in his head which proved fatal, hospital sources said, adding that injured Hadayatullah Jaffar was under treatment, however, his condition was out of danger. Sources say Shafiq Ahmed Khan had just returned home after inaugurating a shop at a local market. It is an incident of target-killing, said a police officer. According to the ministers family sources, he was receiving threats for the last many days. Some days back, unknown persons also snatched away one of his official vehicles, but the minister did not adopt proper security measures, sources said. According to police sources, Inspector General Police Syed Javed Shah Bukhari has formed three teams to probe into different aspects of the ministers killing. Soon after the incident, police and personnel of Frontier Corps (FC) reached the spot and cordoned off the area. However, the attackers managed to escape the scene easily after committing the crime. The news spread like a wild fire and a large number of people, including relatives, political leaders and provincial ministers rushed to the residence of slain PPP leader and strongly condemned his brutal murder. They also condoled with the bereaved family. Meanwhile, BLUF has accepted the responsibility of the killing. Calling on satellite phone from an unspecified location to newsmen, one Mir Shayhaq Baloch introduced himself as the BLUF spokesman and said it was a revenge for the killing of Baloch leaders Ghulam Muhammad Baloch, Sher Muhammad Baloch, Lala Munir and others. We shall continue our resistance till achievement of our objectives, he warned, adding that Balochistan Education minister was following the policies of enemy. Chief Minister Balochistan has announced three-day mourning and closures of all government and private educational institutions in connection with the killing of the minister. Balochistan Professors and Lecturers Association (BPLA) has also announced three-day mourning to register protest against the brutal murder while Balochistan Bar Association and Balochistan High Court Bar Association will boycott the courts today to observe mourning. Balochistan Traders Association has also announced shutterdown strike today (Monday). Shafiq Ahmed Khan (55) was elected member of provincial assembly for the first time in 2002 elections on a PPP ticket. He also succeeded in reaching the assembly in 2008 elections and was allocated portfolio of Education Ministry. Shafiq was one of the most popular personalities of Quetta. He has left four daughters and a widow. He was a staunch opponent of military action in Balochistan and always raised voiced for the rights of Baloch people.