KARACHI, Feb 21: A renowned industrialist survived an attempt on his life when an unknown assailant opened fire on him on main Super Highway on Thursday evening.

Feroz Alam Lari, the patron-in-chief of the Federal B Industrial Association, was returning from his factory situated along Super Highway when an armed person intercepted his vehicle and opened fire.

Mr Lari escaped the attack. However, he received a minor injury when a bullet brushed past his right thigh. The industrialist was taken to Aga Khan University Hospital for treatment. The incident has sparked anger in the business community, which has termed it an open threat from certain unscrupulous elements to the industrialists who are taking measures against extortion and other crimes in the Federal B Industrial Area and the North Karachi Industrial Area.

The news of this attack spread like wildfire and dozens of the city’s businessmen visited the injured at the hospital.

They suspected that the gangsters who had been operating in the industrial areas for the last several years were behind the attack.

They termed it a tactic of anti-social elements to harass those industrialists who were trying to check their activities with the help of the local authorities.

Observers recall that members of the city’s business community during a recent meeting with President Pervez Musharraf had warned to shift their production units if security threats persisted. Keeping in view the situation, the police authorities last month hinted at setting up a separate force for the city’s industrial areas to effectively check criminal activities in these areas.

“It’s too early to comment but early reports suggest that it was not a robbery attempt,” said Ameer Husaain Lehri, SP of Gadap Town. “It looks a like a matter of personal enmity. There is no such particular gang in our area which targets industrialists,” he said.