Days after the assassination of former Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Syed Ali Raza Abidi and a mysterious car bombing in the upscale Defence Housing Authority (DHA) in Karachi, the posh locality has been tainted by another incident as former Sindh governor Mohammad Zubair escaped an attack in the area.
The incident took place on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday near the 26th Street, Phase VI, Khayaban-e-Muhafiz in DHA within the limits of the Darakshan police station.
Narrating the incident to media persons, Zubair said it happened when he and his wife were on their way home from his sister-in-law’s residence who lived on Saba Avenue.
“I was driving the car. The incident occurred when we were heading towards our residence after visiting my sister-in-law. I was going to turn right when the suspects in a car tried to intercept me by blocking my way,” the former governor said.
He added that at first he gave way to the suspects, thinking that they would go straight; however, he sped up his car when he saw one of the suspects had a pistol, which he was pointing at him.
“There were two to three suspects in the car. I do not know their intentions but it is clear that one of them pointed a pistol at me and he was close to me,” Zubair maintained, adding that he did not know whether the suspects were trying to only scare him or they intended something else.
“Maybe he did not get a chance to open fire on me as I had already sped up my car,” Zubair said. After the incident, Zubair’s son posted about it on Twitter. There were three suspects in the car, he claimed. “My Father and my mother are safe, who escaped getting shot on the road by a car with three armed namaloom afrad [unidentified persons].”
After Zubair informed the police about the incident, District South SSP Pir Muhammad Shah and other senior police officials immediately reached his residence and inquired about the happening.
The police officials said the suspects pointed a weapon at the ex-governor but did not open fire. The officials also visited the site of the incident but did not find CCTV cameras installed there.
Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Syed Kaleem Imam also took notice of the incident and ordered SSP Shah to inquire into it.
The SSP said the police were investigating the case from different angles and trying to ascertain whether the suspects wanted to rob Zubair or scare him.
SSP Shah added that six police personnel of the security zone had been deputed for Zubair’s security but the former governor was not interested in taking the police guards with him around.
“The police have requested him to keep the security with him from now on,” the officer said. He added that the former governor had not received any threats in the past.
No substantial progress was made in the investigations after the passage of one day. “We are still trying to ascertain the motive behind the incident,” DSP Mukhtiar Khaskheli said.
The police also awaited registration of an FIR all day. “We have asked the ex-governor to register a case and are waiting for him,” the DSP said.
The FIR was finally registered late on Wednesday night on behalf of Zubair’s son Hasan at the Darakshan police station. The case was registered against unidentified persons under Sections 324, 506/2 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
