Zubair Baloch, the brother of imprisoned Lyari gangster Uzair Baloch, was shot and critically wounded in Karachi on Thursday evening, police said.
The incident has drawn wider attention in India because Uzair Baloch was portrayed by actor Danish Pandor in the Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar and its sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge.
(Also read: Watch: IIM Ahmedabad professor turns ‘Dhurandhar scene into a statistics lesson’)
Shooting outside residence
According to a report by Dawn, 40-year-old Zubair was sitting outside his residence in Singu Lane when armed men riding a motorcycle opened fire and escaped. The attack took place on main Chakiwara Road in Karachi’s Lyari area.
Two passersby were also caught in the firing. All three injured people were taken to Civil Hospital Karachi for treatment.
South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza said Zubair suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including injuries to his chest and abdomen, and was undergoing surgery. One of the two passersby was also reported to be in a serious condition.
Police probe possible motives
Police are examining several possible motives behind the shooting, including personal enmity and gang rivalry. The attackers reportedly had their faces covered.
{{/usCountry}}Police are examining several possible motives behind the shooting, including personal enmity and gang rivalry. The attackers reportedly had their faces covered.
{{/usCountry}}DIG Raza said Zubair had been arrested in seven criminal cases in 2012. He was released from prison in January 2025.
Who is Uzair Baloch?
Uzair Baloch is the former chief of the now-defunct People’s Amn Committee, an organisation that was once deeply influential in Lyari’s political and criminal landscape.
Actor Danish Pandor portrayed Uzair in Dhurandhar as a Karachi-based gangster and trusted associate of Rehman Dakait, played by Akshaye Khanna.
About Dhurandhar
Dhurandhar is a spy action-thriller set largely in Pakistan during the early 2000s. Ranveer Singh plays Indian operative Jaskirat Singh Rangi, who assumes the identity of Hamza Ali Mazari and infiltrates Lyari’s criminal networks while working to dismantle a terror network threatening India.
The film also stars Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal and R Madhavan.
Its sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, was released in theatres on March 19, 2026. It explores Jaskirat’s transformation into Hamza and takes the story forward as he rises through Lyari’s gangster-terror-political network while continuing his covert mission.
Google Trends
Uzair Baloch was among the top keyword on Google Search in India, as per data from Google Trends. The highest number of searches came from Delhi.