Unidentified armed men have shot and critically injured Zubair Baloch, brother of imprisoned gangster Uzair Baloch, in Karachi’s Lyari neighbourhood.
The attack occurred outside Zubair’s residence in Singu Lane of the main Chakiwara Road where masked assailants on a motorcycle opened fire before fleeing the scene.
A nearby shopkeeper returned fire during the encounter, causing the attackers to escape.
Zubair, 40, sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his chest and abdomen. Two passersby also suffered injuries during the shooting.
Rescue personnel shifted all three victims to Civil Hospital Karachi.
South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza provided details regarding the incident and Zubair’s background, revealing that he was arrested in seven criminal cases in 2012 and was released in January 2025.
DIG Raza confirmed that police investigators were examining the shooting from multiple angles, focusing specifically on gang rivalry and personal enmity.
A local social activist, speaking anonymously, told a private media outlet that Zubair had joined a political party several months ago and raised its flags in Singu Lane.
The activist also noted widespread concern among Lyari residents regarding rumours that gangsters who had fled to Dubai and Iran after the Karachi operation have returned to the neighbourhood amid the US-Iran war.
Locals also expressed fear over a potential resurgence of gang violence in the area.
Zubair’s brother, Uzair Baloch, currently remains in prison. Uzair previously headed the defunct People’s Amn Committee. In April 2020, a military court convicted Uzair of espionage and sentenced him to 12 years in jail.
Earlier in March, an Anti-Terrorism Court rejected Uzair’s bail applications in seven cases related to murder, police encounters and possession of explosives. Those charges stem from a 2012 incident within the jurisdiction of the Kalakot police station where Uzair and his associates allegedly attacked law enforcement personnel with firearms and explosives.
