KARACHI: Allama Orangzeb Farooqi of the Ahl-i-Sunnat Wal Jamaat escaped a gun attack near Quaidabad on Sunday which left his three personal guards wounded, police officials and a party spokesman said.

The ASWJ quickly described the attack as the fifth attempt on the life of their key leader.

The officials said that Allam Farooqi was attacked in early hours of the day near the Quaidabad bridge when he was returning home after attending a conference on Seerat in Zia Colony of Korangi.

The rear of a vehicle accompanying Allama Farooqi’s vehicle was hit by multiple bullets that left his three guards wounded. There were two vehicles in his convoy.

“Luckily, the vehicle which was carrying Allama Farooqi was not hit by any bullet,” said a senior police official.

“The attackers targeted him near the Pakistan Swedish Institute of Technology and most probably they were positioned over a bridge and waited for the convoy to slow down near a turn. The witnesses said they saw motorcyclists speeding away after the firing.”

The officer said the ASWJ leader’s guards sustained ‘minor’ wounds and were discharged from hospital after initial treatment.

The officer, however, was not sure about the people behind the attack and said that investigations were at early stages and it could be a speculation to reach any conclusion at this point.

A large number of ASWJ workers later gathered at their residence and then staged a brief sit-in near the Dawood Chowrangi to condemn the attack.

The ASWJ said the Quaidabad attack was the fifth one on Allama Farooqi’s life, and in one of the four previous assaults his six guards were killed.

“The government has taken back the police security provided to Allama Farooqi,” he added.

“Despite repeated assurances, the government has done nothing. We were already very concerned about his security and the fresh attack has proved our concerns. We are justified to consider the government responsible for the threats he faces.”

A large number of ASWJ workers, meanwhile, gathered again at Dawood Chowrangi in the evening and staged a sit-in in protest.

Speaking to the protesters, ASWJ leaders called for ‘transparent investigations’ into ‘frequent attacks’ on Allama Farooqi and demanded immediate police security for him.

“Despite these incidents, we would call for harmony and peace. It’s the government’s responsibility to unearth those elements who are consistently targeting our workers and leaders,” said Allama Farooqi.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2015

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