ISLAMABAD, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Taliban shot dead renowned Pakistani Sufi music singer known as "qawwali"in the port city of Karachi on Wednesday, police said.

According to the police, the assailants opened fire on the vehicle of Amjad Sabri when he was heading for a TV show.

A police officer and witnesses said two gunmen, riding a motorbike, sprayed bullets at Sabri's car and escaped. Sabri received critical injuries and died when being shifted to hospital.

Slain Sabri was famous for sufi music that is a practice in Pakistan and India but extremists reject this tradition saying it has nothing to do with Islam. A splinter Pakistani Taliban group claimed responsibility for the killing.

Qari Saifullah spokesman of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Hakeemullah group claimed responsibility for the killing, however, there was no independent verification of the claim.

Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and political leaders strongly condemned the terrorist attack.

In a statement, the prime minister directed the authorities concerned to apprehend the culprits involved in the killing of Amjad Sabri and bring them to book.