KARACHI: Police on Tuesday booked and arrested six persons for leading an attack on a PIB Colony house rented by a drama producer for shooting.

The attackers, all area people, allegedly beat up the producer and his crew and took away their cell phones, wallets and equipment on Monday evening.

Actor Hira Mani, who was among the cast members and victims but not named in the FIR, took to Instagram and wrote, “It was a very unfortunate event to witness today and I wish and pray no one face[s] that ever in their life. I want to thank my team members who fought till the last with the culprits to save us and are in very bad condition in the hospital right now.”

On Tuesday, police arrested Mohammed Ali, Abdul Qadir, Owais, Rehmat Ali, Muzammil Ali and Syed Koreb.

However, East-SSP Zubair Nazeer Shaikh said it was not a robbery; rather an outcome of some “issue with neighbours and local community over shooting of a film”.

He said the shooting of the film was under way in the rented house where the people gathered over some ‘noise’. After heated arguments, the mob allegedly beat up the crew and actors.

The SSP said the actors had been subjected to an ‘unjust violence’ as shooting was going on inside, not outside, the house.

Producer Ali Husain, who lodged an FIR with the Jamshed Quarters police station, stated that he had rented a house at Teen Hatti near Noori Shah Baba Mazar for his work with four rooms, including one in which the owner lived. The three rooms were in his possession for shooting.

On Feb 6, he was present in the house along with his team members when around 40-50 persons armed with sticks yelled at the gate and broke open the lock and entered the house. They beat house owner Shakir and members of the producer’s team.

The attackers smashed household items and severely beat up Mohammed Zubair, Malik Muti, Amroz, Asad Atif, Arif, and Hamza Shabbir.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2023