Zubair Baloch, the brother of jailed Pakistani gangster Uzair Baloch, was seriously wounded after unidentified gunmen opened fire outside his home in Karachi’s Lyari area on Thursday evening.
The 40-year-old was shot in the chest and abdomen, according to Pakistani media reports, and is said to be in critical condition. Two passers-by were also injured when the attackers opened fire.
According to Pakistani newspaper Dawn, the assailants arrived on a motorcycle, carried out the shooting, and fled the scene before they could be apprehended.
Zubair and the two injured bystanders were taken to Karachi’s Civil Hospital for treatment. Hospital authorities said Zubair underwent surgery following the attack, while one of the injured passers-by remains in critical condition.
The shooting took place in Lyari, an area of Karachi long associated with gang violence and the activities of criminal groups.
Checking intensified to nab criminals
Police have started scanning footage from CCTV cameras installed around the incident site to trace the escape route of the attackers.
Bullet shells have been recovered from the spot, which have been sent for forensic examination to ascertain the type of weapon used.
The situation in Lyari is tense after the attack, due to which an additional police force and Rangers have been deployed there.
Checking has been intensified at entry and exit points of Karachi to nab the suspects.
Investigation into gang war and old rivalry
South DIG Syed Asad Raza said that the police are investigating the case from all angles. Efforts are underway to determine whether the attack was a result of gang warfare, old rivalry, or some other motive. Police have not yet confirmed any specific motive.
According to police, Zubair Baloch was arrested in 2012 on seven criminal charges. He was released from jail in January 2025. Police are also investigating whether his past criminal records are linked to the attack.
After his arrest, Uzair Baloch had claimed that he had received political patronage from some senior leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
There is talk of a resumption of gang war in the area
Following this incident, fears of a renewed gang war in Lyari have intensified. A local social activist, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Zubair had recently joined a political party and had even put up party flags in the area a few months ago.
However, due to the ongoing tension in the area, the name of the political party has not been disclosed, nor has any official statement been issued by the party so far on this deadly attack.
He claims that there are reports of the return of many gangsters who fled to Dubai and Iran during the Karachi operation, which has increased the fear of the resumption of gang war among the local people.
Several serious cases have been registered against Uzair Baloch
Uzair Baloch was once considered one of Karachi’s most powerful gang leaders. He was considered the right-hand man of Lyari’s notorious gangster Abdul Rehman alias Rehman Dacoit.
After Rehman Dacoit was killed in a police encounter, Uzair took over the reins of Lyari’s underworld and gradually became the most influential gangster in the area.
Uzair Baloch is currently lodged in a Pakistani jail. In March this year, an anti-terrorism court rejected his bail applications in seven cases, including murder, assault on police and possession of explosives.
He is also accused of attacking security forces with weapons and explosives in the Kalakot police station area in 2012. Earlier in April 2020, a military court convicted him of espionage and sentenced him to 12 years in prison.
Uzair Baloch claimed that he orchestrated the murder of gangster Arshad Pappu to avenge his father’s murder, and that some police officers also assisted him in this task.
Uzair came into the limelight because of the film Dhurandhar.
Uzair Baloch has been in the news recently for the Indian spy-thriller film “Dhurandhar.” His character is played by actor Danish Pandor.
