Police say Zubair Baloch, the brother of imprisoned gangster Uzair Baloch, is critically injured after being shot in Karachi’s Lyari area on Thursday evening. According to Chakiwara police, the 40-year-old was attacked on or near Chakiwara Road while he was outside his residence on Singu Lane. Police say armed suspects on a motorcycle opened fire on him and fled. Two passersby were also injured, and all were taken to Civil Hospital Karachi, where Zubair underwent surgery for multiple bullet wounds to his chest and abdomen. One of the bystanders is reported to be in serious condition.
A senior police officer tells Dawn that Zubair was arrested in seven criminal cases in 2012 and was released in January 2025. Police say they are investigating the shooting from different angles, including gang rivalry and personal enmity. A local social activist, speaking anonymously, links the incident to Zubair’s alleged recent association with a political party and mentions local rumours about former gang figures returning. The reports also note that the attackers’ faces were covered and that they fled after nearby resistance, including return fire from a shopkeeper.