Nabeel Qureshi, Hira, Mani and others attacked during shoot

The mob harassed the female actors and stole mobile phones, wallets, and filming equipment

Film director Nabeel Qureshi along with his other cast members and crew were “attacked by a mob” in PIB Colony in Karachi on February 6. According to a tweet by Nabeel Qureshi, he along with the cast — Mani (Salman Saquib), Hira Mani, and Gul-e-Rana — and crew were attacked at their film set by a violent mob who robbed them of their valuables, including filming gear, mobile phones, and wallets.

The police have registered an FIR against the attackers and arrested six people in connection with the incident.

Writing in his Twitter handle, Nabeel Qureshi said a mob of around 100 people broke the door down and entered the house where they were shooting a scene. After breaking in, they started shouting and beating up the filming crew along with the owner of the house. The mob also harassed the women and female actors and stole three mobile phones, wallets, and several pieces of filming equipment – C-stands, avenger stand, one 2k light, 10kg jib weight, cables, bulbs, and set pancake.

The FIR was filed at the PIB Colony police station by producer Ali Hussain. According to him, the house at the PIB Colony had been rented out only for filming purposes. One room of the rented house was in use by the house owner while the other three rooms were used mainly for shooting. The FIR mentioned that the attackers came in with iron sticks, damaged the filming equipment and also injured five crew members, while one of the members of the crew was seriously hit on the back of his head with the butt of a pistol.

The FIR stated that the owner of the house Shakir told them that the mob was led by his neighbours, Muhammad Ali and Qasim, while three other people assisted his neighbours. The police have registered a case under sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint to the committing of the theft), 337, 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of Rs. 50 or above) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Film director Nabeel Qureshi said he is still traumatised over what happened on the set of his forthcoming TV serial. “We had kids like 6 to 7 years of age, and Hira kept on requesting them to behave from inside the door. They were not listening, they broke the door! It is so disturbing,” said Qureshi. In another tweet, he said that they were “attacked like anything,” which had never happened to them before. “They were equipped with weapons, they stole mobiles, wallets. They do not care about ladies. They raised their hands, etc.,” he tweeted.

The Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad filmmaker tweeted that he wants the Rangers and Sindh Police to take punitive measures against the attackers to “make an example out of it.” Nabeel Qureshi also made a request to the showbiz fraternity to make sure that such incidents don’t happen to any of them again.

Child actor Falak Shahzad Khan, who was also present on that occasion, wrote, “We were at the shoot… they attacked the team. Got into the house. All of us, Mani, Hira Mani, Nabeel Qureshi, Gul-e-Rana and Khushi Maheen and other team members were locked in a tiny room. Then the police and Rangers came and we were able to go back home.”

Actress Hira Mania took to her Instagram account and wrote, “It was a very unfortunate event to witness today and I wish and pray no one face[s] that ever in their life. I want to thank my team members who fought till the last [end] with the culprits to save us and are in very bad condition in the hospital right now.”

She also asked people to pray for the speedy recovery of the injured crew members.