Unidentified men opened fire at the vehicle of Dawood University Of Engineering & Technology Vice-Chancellor Dr Samreen, PPP leader Dr Asim Hussain’s wife, in Karachi on Tuesday, the varsity’s spokesperson said.

“Dr Samreen is safe,” stated DIG West Imran Balouch. “This incident may have been an attempted robbery.”

The incident took place in the city’s Orangi Town. “It is still too early to say anything conclusively. The investigation has been launched,” the DIG West said.

Over 44,000 criminal incidents were reported in the city during the first seven months of 2024, according to a report by the Citizen Police Liaison Committee (CPLC).

The CPLC report highlighted that over 31,000 motorcycles were stolen or snatched while over 1,000 cars were also reported stolen or snatched. Over 11,000 mobile phones were snatched from citizens during the same period. January saw the highest number of crimes at 7,815, while June recorded the lowest with 4,954 incidents. The crime rate showed an upward trend in January, February, and March, before declining from April onwards.