Amir Hamza, a founding member of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was shot at by unidentified gunmen outside a news channel's office in Lahore on Thursday.
According to multiple reports, Hamza sustained severe injuries in the attack and is currently admitted to a hospital where he is said to be in a critical condition.
In a post on X, Lahore Police said it "responded swiftly to the incident of firing by unidentified individuals at the vehicle of the Chairman of Tehreek-e-Hurmat-e-Rasool Pakistan at Hamdard Chowk." All individuals in the vehicle remained safe.
A high alert has been issued in the area, and search operations are underway to identify and arrest the perpetrators, the police said.
This is the second time in less than a year that Hamza came under attack. Last year in May, there was a similar attack on Hamza when he was shot in the waist area by unidentified men.
Amir Hamza co-founded Lashkar-e-Taiba along with Hafiz Saeed in the late 1980s. Though the United Nation has banned and designated LeT as a terrorist group, India has long accused Pakistan of using it in multiple attacks against the country.