Law enforcement agencies (LEAs) have postponed the operations against notorious criminals in Lyari after injuries to four people, including two minors and a woman, due to “firing from unidentified miscreants” on Monday.
Earlier in the day, the law enforcers launched a search operation in the Singho Lane, Chakiwara, Lyari against Uzair Jan Baloch, Habib Baloch and Zafar Baloch.
As they entered the neighbourhood in armoured personnel carriers (APCs), they were attacked by unidentified miscreants, who resorted to heavy shelling at the APCs from all directions.
During the attack, four people including two girls and a woman suffered bullet wounds. The injured were taken to the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), where doctors stated their condition to be stable.
The attack forced the LEA personnel to retreat and postpone the operation.
Talking with Pakistan Today, SP City Town Nasir Aftab said that police had information on presence of three most-wanted criminals of Lyari namely Uzair, Habib and Zafar in the office of Wahid Nazim, a renowned businessman of Lyari.
The raid was launched by police in collaboration with Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Special Investigation Unit (SIU) against the three most-wanted criminals of Lyari, he added.
The police officer said that the injured people were identified as seven-year-old Laiba, daughter of Shahnawaz; nine-year-old Sawera, daughter of Abdul Aziz; Gul Bibi, 60, wife of Muhammad; and 45-year-old man Muhammad Ali.
“When LEAs realised that the miscreants had started targeting innocent people, the LEAs decided to retreat to avoid loss of precious lives,” he said. “The criminals were present there, but we cannot afford the loss of precious lives.”
Talking to Pakistan Today, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Lyari leader Zafar Baloch – a target of LEAs operation – alleged that teams of CID, SIU and police opened indiscriminate firing from their APCs.
“I was not present there, but Uzair was engaged in an interview with an international television channel. He was briefing the foreign journalists about the prevailing law and order situation in the town as the LEAs opened fire in the town,” Zafar said.
“The residents retaliated over the attack from police and during the brief gun battle, four people were injured,” he added.
It was earlier reported that Habib along with the PAC leadership was booked in a murder case of a policeman in Lyari. They were accused of involvement in the abduction and murder of Constable Raj Mohammad.
FIR No 91/12 under sections 302/34, 365 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Article 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act was registered at the Kalri police station.
