A local Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader was gunned down in Lahore late last night, marking another violent episode in the city’s volatile political landscape. Armed men on a motorcycle intercepted the victim’s vehicle in the Township area, opened fire, and fled before police arrived.
The victim, identified as a neighborhood president within the party, died on the spot. Rescue officials moved the body to Jinnah Hospital for a post-mortem, while police cordoned off the crime scene to collect forensic evidence, including shell casings from the street.
The attack comes as political tensions across Punjab remain high. PTI leadership has already labeled the incident a “targeted hit,” accusing the provincial government of failing to provide security to opposition figures.
“This isn’t just a crime, it’s a message,” said a senior party spokesperson who arrived at the hospital shortly after the news broke. He stopped short of naming suspects but insisted that the pattern of attacks on PTI workers suggests a coordinated effort to suppress local organizing.
Police investigators are currently scanning CCTV footage from nearby shops and intersections. Initial reports suggest the assailants were waiting for the victim near his residence, indicating the shooters had been tracking his movements.
Lahore police spokesperson DIG Operations confirmed that a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against unknown assailants under terrorism charges. “We are pursuing multiple leads,” he said, though he declined to comment on whether the motive was political or personal.
For the PTI, the death is a blow to its grassroots presence in the district. Supporters gathered outside the hospital throughout the early hours, chanting slogans against the provincial administration and demanding the immediate arrest of the shooters.
With no arrests made and the assailants still at large, the party has called for a day of protest in the area. The incident leaves the local political base rattled, raising immediate questions about security for opposition leaders in the city.
