KARACHI: Inspector General of Police Dr Syed Kaleem Imam took notice of an incident in which unknown persons tried to kidnap the coordinator of the leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly on Sunday.

Mobina Town SHO Mehboob Illahi said that three armed men got hold of Rehan Zafar Ghouri when he came out of his home in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block-4.

Seeing the struggle, a policeman of the same police station, later identified as Shahnawaz, who was passing through the area challenged the suspects who fled during an exchange of gunfire, he said.

The officer said that Mr Ghouri, the coordinator of opposition leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, was approaching his car parked outside his home in Azeeem Goth when three armed men riding two motorbikes tried to kidnap him at gunpoint. However, Shahnawaz, who was in civvies, rescued him.

The SHO said that during the exchange of fire, the suspects escaped on one motorbike and abandoned the other one. The bike was seized by the police for investigation.

The area SHO said that it might be a kidnapping attempt or a robbery bid.

Mr Naqvi visited the police station and appreciated the police officer for foiling the incident.

The coordinator in his statement to the police said that he had not received any threats from any quarter.

The investigators collected five spent bullet casings from the crime scene, including three fired by the suspects.

Meanwhile, the IGP Sindh took notice of the incident and sought a detailed inquiry report from the SSP-East, said a police spokesperson.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2019