The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has confirmed that two Norwegian citizens with ties to Pakistan have died following an incident in the city of Gujrat in Punjab province, northern Pakistan.

Pakistani police are investigating the case as murder.

According to NRK, the two deceased men were family and on holiday in Pakistan. Their lawyer, Sidra Bhatti, has stated that the family is in shock and deep grief after the brutal and unimaginable loss.

A report seen by NRK shows that the Norwegians’ car was followed and shot at by two men on a motorbike. Local Pakistani media report a similar sequence of events, and it is also reported that a woman was shot but survived.

The motive for the shooting is currently unknown, but NRK has learnt that there may be a connection to another incident that occurred a few years ago.

A memorial service for the two men was held at the Søndre Nordstrand Muslim Centre in Oslo on Sunday, indicating that the deceased had ties to the Muslim community in Oslo.

The Oslo Police District confirms that the two deceased were Norwegian citizens with addresses in Oslo, but is not formally involved in the case. The Norwegian CID has also been informed, but refers to the Pakistani authorities regarding the investigation.

UD states that they are in contact with the relatives to offer assistance in the situation.

Although NRK refers to the deceased as Norwegians, their connection to Pakistan and the memorial service in a Muslim centre indicate that they probably had a Pakistani background.