Lahore, April 16: Amir Hamza, a founding member of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, sustained bullet injuries after unidentified gunmen opened fire on his vehicle in Lahore on Thursday morning, according to local media reports.
The attack took place at Hamdard Chowk near Peco Road Pindi Stop in the Kot Lakhpat area when two armed assailants on a motorcycle intercepted Hamzaโs car and fired multiple rounds. The incident reportedly occurred around 8:30 am as Hamza was returning home after attending a religious programme titled โNoor Seharโ aired on a private television channel owned by Pakistanโs Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
Sources indicated that Hamza suffered bullet injuries in the attack and was rushed to a nearby medical facility. Nazir Ahmed Ghazi, who was accompanying him in the car and hosts the programme, escaped unhurt.
Hamza is known to be a close associate of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, with whom he co-founded Lashkar-e-Taiba in the early 1990s. The outfit was later designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the United States in December 2001.
Despite being banned internationally, Lashkar-e-Taiba has continued to operate in the region. According to the US Treasury Department, Hamza has held key roles within the organisation, including being part of its Central Advisory Committee and managing propaganda operations. He has also been linked to coordinating with affiliated groups and overseeing publications tied to the outfit.
Authorities have not yet identified the attackers, and an investigation is currently underway to determine the motive behind the targeted assault.
