Zubair Baloch, the brother of imprisoned former People’s Amn Committee chief Uzair Baloch, was critically injured after unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen opened fire on him in Karachi’s Lyari area on Thursday evening, police said.
According to Chakiwara police, the attack took place on Main Chakiwara Road, where 40-year-old Zubair Baloch was shot multiple times. Two passersby were also injured in the firing and were shifted to Civil Hospital Karachi for treatment.
South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza said Zubair was sitting outside his residence in Singu Lane when armed assailants opened fire before fleeing the scene.
Police said Zubair sustained multiple bullet wounds to his chest and abdomen and underwent surgery, while one of the injured bystanders remains in critical condition.
DIG Raza said investigators are probing the incident from multiple angles, including possible gang rivalry and personal enmity.
According to a local social activist, Zubair had recently joined a political party and had raised its flags in the area. The activist also claimed that residents were concerned over reports that former gang members who had fled abroad during the Karachi operation had returned, raising fears of renewed gang violence in Lyari.
The activist added that the attackers had covered their faces and escaped after a nearby shopkeeper allegedly returned fire.
Earlier this year, an anti-terrorism court rejected Uzair Baloch’s bail applications in seven cases related to murder, attempted murder of law enforcement personnel and possession of explosives.
Uzair Baloch was convicted by a military court in April 2020 on espionage charges and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
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