Dr Zahir Ali Syed – Director Usman Institute of Technology (UIT) Karachi, has been killed during an armed carjacking attempt in Karachi on Friday a day earlier.
With profound grief and sorrow, we announce the sad demise of our beloved Prof. Dr. Zahir Ali Syed, Director UIT, read the statement issued by UIT administration.
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The sudden death of Dr. Zahir Ali Syed is not only saddened the entire UIT community but this nation has lost a great educationist, it added.
According to SSP East Sajid Amir Sadozai, Professor Dr Zahir Ali Syed, 70, was coming home after leaving the university when unidentified gunmen on motorcycles attempted to stop his car near Khatoon-i-Pakistan Girls College.
Dr Zahir reportedly resisted the carjacking attempt and accelerated his car upon which the assailants opened fire and shot him.
The UIT director was in his shoulder and he was moved to AKUH for medical treatment. However, he later succumbed to his wounds and passed away due to excessive bleeding.
The police have ruled out the possibility of target killing contending that Dr Zahir Ali Syed would’ve been shot at point blank range if he was intentionally targeted.
In case of target killing, the car would’ve been stopped from the front and the suspects would’ve likely used 9mm pistol, both of which factors are absent in this case, said SSP East Amir Sadozai.
Who Was Dr Zahir Ali Syed?
Dr Zahir Ali Syed was a 35-year veteran of the field and had served on senior management positions in both academia and industry. This includes Establishing and running ventures; Designing and Managing Business Plan Competitions for companies and start-ups including student level competitions; Developing Strategy, Business Plans and Policies; Managing institutes of higher education including Administration, Teaching & Research; Providing IT Solutions that includes Infrastructure & Software Solutions.
He was currently serving as Director UIT, Member Senate, Academic Council and Board of Faculty-NEDUET, Co-Chair of MIT Enterprise Forum Pakistan and Member Selection Committee of the Sultan Qaboos, IT Chair at UET Lahore
Previously he had also served as Executive Director of The i-Care Foundation; CEO of Cambridge Advisors Network, Director of Karachi Institute of Information Technology (KIIT), Chairman and CEO of Avanza Solutions, Director of ICT R&D Fund, CEO of ABM Data System, CEO of ABM Infosys, CEO of ABM InfoTech and member of Curriculum and Selection boards of various universities.
