Case registered over attack on PSP leader Mir Atiq Talpur

Police on Sunday registered a case against unidentified persons after a Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) leader escaped an attack on his life in the Defence locality when three suspects fired at his vehicle on Saturday.

Mir Atiq Talpur, who is the secretary general of the PSP Sindh chapter, was targeted on Khayaban-e-Shahbaz in Defence Housing Authority Phase VI late on Saturday night while he went out for dinner with his family.

According to Talpur, three young men, who were clad in pants and shirts and had their faces covered, approached his car in another vehicle and when he tried to get away, they fired straight at his vehicle, hitting its bumper. The PSP leader and his family were not hurt in the firing.

The PSP leader later approached the Darakshan police station to lodge a case over the incident. The police registered an FIR No 89/19 under Sections 324, 427/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code against four unidentified persons on behalf of Talpur. The investigation wing of the police station was tasked with inquiring into the incident.

Later, Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Kaleem Imam took notice of the firing incident and directed the Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) South to submit a report.

According to Darakshan SHO Arshad Janjua, nothing could be said with certainty about the motive behind the firing and the case was being investigated by the police from different angles. Police officials said they were also trying to obtain CCTV footage to trace the suspects. PSP chief Syed Mustafa Kamal condemned the attack on his party leader and demanded that the authorities take an immediate action.

Incidents of attacks on political leaders seem to be on the rise in District South as around a month ago, a similar incident occurred in Defence on January 9 in which former Sindh governor and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Mohammad Zubair was targeted when he was heading towards his residence with his family.

Some assailants in a car tried to intercept the former governor; however, he escaped unhurt. Few days after the attempted attack on Zubair, the family of a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader was robbed by armed men in Defence on January 16. The police later claimed to have arrested the suspects involved in the mugging incident.