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A disturbing road rage incident in Lahore has left citizens, including public figures, alarmed and questioning their safety.

The incident reportedly took place at the Dharampura Underpass, where an armed guard from a private security company opened fire at a motorist following a heated exchange. A bullet struck the vehicle, prompting the driver to step out and confront the guard. In response, other guards attacked the driver before fleeing the scene, abandoning their vehicle and several weapons.

A video of the confrontation has since gone viral on social media, showing more than a dozen armed guards escorting a luxury vehicle and opening fire in a public area. Several cars, caught in the crossfire, can be seen scrambling to get away, raising serious concerns about public safety.

Reacting to the footage, actor Sami Khan condemned the reckless display of firearms and criticised the bystanders for not attempting to help the motorist. “This is Pakistan, where everyone is just watching the show but no one is coming to the rescue of the rider in white,” he wrote. “And how dare that guard fire in public like this… There are so many cars that might have had families in them.”

Actor Zara Tareen also weighed in, criticising regional biases. She also made some uncalled-for remarks about Lahore. “This is wrong no matter where it happens, yet all I see is people in Punjab complaining that this can only happen in Karachi and calling it ‘Karachi culture’,” she wrote. “Well, maybe some places should stay villages and not become cities when they don’t know how — how about that? Ridiculous.”

Several others commended the motorist for standing up to the armed guards and condemned the blatant abuse of power. “So proud of the man in the white shirt who stood up to this. Strict action should be taken against such display of blatant power show on citizens,” a user wrote on Instagram.

“What a brave man to stand up to the wrong. The state has no writ anyone can topple over anyone based on power,” added another.

“As ordinary citizens, we want justice for the brave, one-man army!” one more chimed in. “Woah! The valour of that white shirt man,” a comment read.

“A country is truly successful when its people feel safe. I strongly condemn this reckless act and urge authorities to take strict action as the video circulates on the internet. A private security guard in Lahore opened fire on a car, putting lives at risk,” an X user tweeted.

“Wild scenes coming from Lahore but I am glad the guy in the white car stood up against this pseudo-protocol/security guy! Not the wise thing to do because he literally risked his life but I guess you need to be fearless to set the record straight!” another added.

An Instagram user urged everyone to protest the VIP culture. “Proud of this man.. people of Lahore don’t let the bravery of this young lad go to waste. Protest in front of the CM House or the place where these cars came from.. the company who provided the guards.”

Many users also tagged the government of Pakistan, the government of Punjab and the Punjab police to demand justice.

According to a Lahore police spokesperson, Dolphin Squad officers arrived at the scene after being alerted and seized the abandoned vehicle and weapons. However, the guards involved had already escaped and remained unidentified.

Lahore Operations DIG Faisal Kamran has since taken notice of the incident, ordering the registration of a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act against the security guards and the unidentified individual they were escorting.

A police team has been formed to trace and apprehend the suspects using footage from Safe City cameras.

Meanwhile, the man targeted in the attack has come forward on social media, identifying himself as Muhammad Imran, a trader by profession. He stated that he intervened when one of the guards attempted to fire a second shot and managed to overpower him.