Lucky escape: Iqbal Park official survives gun attack

Assailants shoot and injure Javed Hamid near Sheranwala Gate.

LAHORE: The project director of the recently inaugurated Greater Iqbal Park survived an assassination attempt as his car came under attack in Yakki Gate on Thursday.

Police said two unidentified assailants shot at and injured Javed Hamid near Sheranwala Gate as he was travelling in his car.

The attackers fired four bullets at the car before fleeing the scene. Three bullets damaged the vehicle while one hit the victim on the right leg. Javed was rushed to a nearby hospital, where his condition was said to be stable.

Investigators skimmed the crime scene for evidence and recorded statements of some eyewitnesses.

An investigator told The Express Tribune the victim was possibly targeted over a personal enmity after developing some differences with a contractor over a financial dispute. “This might be the motive of the attack but further investigation will help ascertain facts,” he added.

SP City Adil Memon said police were awaiting a complaint from the victim, who had yet to record his statement to police. “Police are waiting for the family to register the FIR,” he added.

CM seeks arrest

Taking notice of the gun attack on Javed, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has sought an immediate report from the Lahore CCPO and ordered the immediate arrest of the perpetrators.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14^th, 2017.