Sunni Tehreek leader survives ambush in Hyd

Police detain suspects as Vice President Qadri injured in targeted gun attack

HYDERABAD:

A senior leader of Sunni Tehreek narrowly escaped death on Friday after being ambushed in a brazen armed attack in Latifabad, highlighting once again the fragile security situation in the city.

Muhammad Khalid Qadri, the party's vice president, was reportedly targeted by three armed assailants riding a motorbike. He sustained five bullet wounds to his thigh, chest, chin, and ear, and was rushed to hospital in critical condition.

Police officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that two suspects have been detained for interrogation as investigations continue into the incident.

According to an FIR registered at A-Section police station on Saturday, the attack occurred after Qadri attended Zuhr prayers at a mosque in Latifabad Unit 8. His brother, Muhammad Harris Khan, stated that Qadri stayed behind at the mosque while he left for home. Shortly after, residents alerted the family that gunshots had been fired.

Qadri later told his brother at Liaquat University Hospital that he could identify the attackers. He described how the assailants initially asked his identity before briefly leaving, only to return and open fire as he walked home with two companions.

Senior party leadership, including ST chief Muhammad Sarwat Aijaz Qadri, visited the injured leader and strongly condemned the attack. He warned that such incidents could inflame sectarian tensions and questioned the failure of Safe City surveillance systems in tracking the attackers.

Hyderabad's Mayor Kashif Ali Shoro and Senior Superintendent of Police Shahzeb Chachar also visited the hospital, as political leaders from across parties expressed concern over the incident.

While speaking to media, Qadri criticised the provincial administration - indirectly referencing the Pakistan Peoples Party - claiming that despite being in power for nearly two decades, the law and order situation in Sindh remains troubling.