Zubair Baloch, the brother of imprisoned former People’s Amn Committee chief Uzair Baloch, was critically injured in a shooting in Karachi’s Lyari area on Thursday evening. Police said two passersby also sustained injuries during the attack.
According to Chakiwara police, unidentified armed men opened fire on Main Chakiwara Road before fleeing the scene. Authorities shifted all three injured individuals to Civil Hospital Karachi for treatment.
South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza said Zubair Baloch, 40, was sitting outside his residence in Singu Lane when motorcycle-riding attackers targeted him. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen and immediately underwent surgery.
The DIG confirmed that one injured passerby also remained in critical condition. Meanwhile, investigators launched a probe to determine the motive behind the attack and identify those responsible.
Police are examining several possibilities, including gang rivalry and personal enmity. However, officials have not announced any arrests or identified suspects.
DIG Raza said Zubair had been arrested in seven criminal cases in 2012. Nevertheless, authorities released him in January 2025 after completing legal proceedings.
A local social activist, speaking anonymously, claimed Zubair had recently joined a political party and displayed its flags in his neighborhood. However, police have not officially linked the shooting to political activities.
The activist also alleged that some gang members, who reportedly fled to Dubai and Iran after the Karachi operation, recently returned following the US-Iran war. Consequently, residents fear renewed gang violence in Lyari.
Earlier this year, an anti-terrorism court rejected Uzair Baloch’s bail applications in seven cases. Previously, a military court convicted him of espionage in 2020 and sentenced him to 12 years in prison.
