KARACHI: The attack on Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA from Lyari, Saniya Naz, was not a “direct attack on her life,” DIG South, Dr Ameer Shiekh told Dawn.com on Friday.

His response came a day after Naz’s car was attacked near Juna Masjid in Kalri area of Lyari. The attack was not a planned one, the DIG Sindh police said, as “those who plan to target a high-profile person, don’t leave without finishing their job.”

According to Saniya Naz, she left for Dubai Chowk from Jinnah Hospital around through the ICI Bridge near West Wharf and the reason for taking a longer route was to avoid traffic she added. “I was in Dubai Chowk to meet the families of the children who were targeted in the recent blast after a football match. And to let them know that their finances have been taken care of,” she said.

As soon as she left Dubai Chowk after meeting the families, the driver “forgot” the route and took her towards her home through Juna Masjid in Kalri around 11:45pm.

The area is notorious for gun fights between Kachhis and members of the banned Aman Committee. “The second we entered the area, we heard gun shots from a street near Juna Masjid which resulted in people running for cover,” added Saniya.

Saniya’s guards resorted to aerial firing, which did not result in any casualties, she said adding: “As soon as I got back home I switched my mobile phone off to avoid creating a panic. But it was useless, as by then news channels had run tickers. As a result of that there were visitors and well-wishers in our home till 4am.”

On Friday morning, after holding a two-hour long meeting with Saniya, DIG Shiekh explained that the incident was not an attempt on her life.

“She hasn’t even registered an FIR,” he said adding that, “as for the incident, it’s a known fact that there is a turf war going on in that area for past few months. The aerial firing was to scare the outsiders (Saniya) away from their territory.”

DIG Sheikh said three elements are active in the area at the moment: One involves Kachhis, who want to reclaim their areas from the dominance of the proscribed Aman Committee.

Second, there is a political fight between two political parties.

Third, is the infighting between the Baloch gangs in Lyari.

“It can be any one of these factors,” he added.

However, Zafar Baloch, senior PAC leader, claimed that for quite some time, they had been receiving threats from separatists and extremists. “The separatists are angry that we don’t support them as they expected off us, considering Lyari is populated predominantly by Baloch people. And for the record, we don’t support their demands for separation.”

He added, “Secondly, there are militants who are angry at us for providing intelligence regarding their hideouts to the law enforcement agencies,” he explained.

But in this case, he added, “it is the same old rivalry that we have with a political party and the people they back in parts of Kalri and Agra Taj Colony that is the root cause of the firing.”

When general secretary of Kachhi Rabita Committee, Akhter Kachhi, was asked about the firing incident he said that: “We were not the ones to open fire at Saniya Naz’s car, not that anyone knew she was inside the car, anyway.”

He said that what happened to the MPA is something that local Kachhis go through on a daily basis.

“We have repeatedly asked the authorities to deploy paramilitary forces in conflict zones to avoid bloodshed of innocent people, but to no avail.”

Akhter said that just a day ago two Kachhi men were killed in the area and considering the tense situation in the area it cannot be ascertained when a clash would break out.

“This is not a first incident, and is probably not going to be the last, until the authorities take serious notice of the matter at hand,” Akhter Kachhi added.

Born and raised in Lyari, Naz is the first female to contest and win elections on a PPP ticket for a general seat (PS-109) in the area.