The Sindh government has reappointed Pir Muhammad Shah as DIG Traffic Karachi, a month after he was removed from the post.
A formal notification has been issued appointing the Grade-20 officer to the position.
According to an official statement, the additional charge of DIG Traffic Karachi has been withdrawn from Mazhar Nawaz Shaikh.
Pir Muhammad Shah was removed last month following the Gul Plaza tragedy, with the Sindh government citing poor traffic management in the aftermath of the incident. The deteriorating traffic situation had reportedly hampered the fire brigade’s access to the site.
However, senior journalist Taha Abidi has claimed that the real reason for Shah’s removal was not the Gul Plaza incident but his alleged involvement in the kidnapping case of prominent Karachi businessman Danish Mateen.
In a Facebook post, Abidi alleged that on 14 January 2026 at around 7pm, Hyderabad police arrived in Karachi’s upscale Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Phase 6, on Amir Khusro Road, and took Danish Mateen to Hyderabad.
Mateen, owner of Mateen Sons and a well-known businessman, was later released near his office after the incident caused concern within official circles.
Following the alleged abduction, Shah’s name reportedly surfaced during inquiries. The case was said to be linked to a financial dispute involving Rs310 million, with allegations that Shah had misused his authority. Sindh Inspector General Javed Alam Odho is reported to have sought an explanation from Shah in writing. However, it is claimed that Shah did not clarify his position, after which he was removed from office.
Abidi further alleged that after his recovery, Danish Mateen registered a case under Section 365-A (kidnapping for ransom) at Gizri police station in Karachi.
The FIR stated that as he was heading home from his office at 7pm, a white vehicle (registration BEB 567) stopped him, assaulted him, and abducted him.
The assailants allegedly took Rs1 million in cash, a mobile phone and a valuable watch, and demanded Rs30 million in ransom. He was reportedly released near his office at 11:40pm following intervention from members of the business community.
The Sindh government maintains that Pir Muhammad Shah was removed solely due to failure to control traffic in the wake of the Gul Plaza tragedy. Mazhar Nawaz Shaikh had been appointed in his place.
Traffic conditions reportedly worsened after the incident, creating difficulties for emergency services attempting to reach the site.
