RAWALPINDI: A former Pakistan People's Party MPA and also a former member of the Council of Islamic Ideology, Syed Zakir Hussain Shah was seriously injured when two motorbike riders opened fire at him
near his house at Millat Colony close to the Committee Chowk on Monday at around 8:10am.
According to informed sources one of the assassins was in his 40s and the other in his 20s.
He was walking towards his residence at Makha Singh street after dropping his children at a school near a coaches terminal, when the two assassins shot five bullets at him with an automatic weapon. As he fell down, the assassins fled the scene.
Mr Shah, who sustained two bullet injuries in his hand and belly, was taken to the district headquarters hospital.
The doctors operated upon him and removed two bullets from his body. One bullet has damaged his liver.
The Waris Khan police have registered a case against the unknown assassins and alerted all checkposts for their arrest.
The police are examining all the aspects, including sectarian and political, of the incident.
Talking to reporters at his bed in the hospital, Mr Shah said he had no enmity with anyone.
A police guard has also been posted at his room in the hospital and at his residence. Mr Shah, a jurist and liberal politician, also runs a human rights organization, called Solidarity International.
RAWALPINDI: Firing on former lawmaker: 2 held
19-12-2000
RAWALPINDI, Dec 18: A police team has arrested two alleged assailants of former PPP MPA and human rights activist, Syed Zakir Hussain Shah, after two weeks of an attempt on his life at Mukha Singh Estate here on December 4.
The SSP, Syed Kaleem Imam, told Dawn that the accused had been identified as Azhar Iqbal alias Azhar Maavia, resident of Chor Bagla and Raja Mohammed Tahir alias Faheem, resident of Ocharr, Azad Kashmir. An intelligence agency had provided important clue to the investigation team that led to their arrests.
The police team was set up under the supervision of SSP, and comprised city circle and CIA staff. According to the police they have seized two hand-grenades from Azhar Iqbal and a pistol from Raja Mohammad Tahir.
Mr Shah is under treatment at the intensive care unit of the district headquarters hospital. He is reported to be stable and improving. The assailants on a motorbike had opened fires at Mr Shah, president of the Solidarity International, a Rawalpindi-based human rights organization, on Dec 4 when he was on his way to his house after dropping his children at a school.
The police said that during interrogation it transpired that two other motorcyclists were also accompanying the two assailants. However the police officials did not disclose the names of their accomplices. They are reported to have gone underground.