01 March 2005	Tuesday	19 Muharram 1426

KARACHI, Feb 28: Four armed suspects were gunned down and three of their accomplices were arrested by police after an encounter lasting half-an-hour in Gulshan-i-Iqbal early on Monday morning.

Police recovered weapons and stolen valuables from the possession of the bandits.

Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town Police Officer Asif Ajaz told Dawn that the gang was wanted for several armed robberies committed in Gulshan. He said that the gang barged into Sohail Khan's house, located in Block-2 of Gulshan-i-Iqbal. His brother came out of the house and ran towards the main road. He informed a police mobile of Gulshan police station which was passing through the road.

The police surrounded the house and called for reinforcement. Sensing that the police are taking control of the area by sealing the possible exit points the bandits jumped into seven or eight neighbouring houses. They were finally cornered in the house of Mr Ashiqeen where the encounter took place.

In exchange of fire, four suspects Azeem Panhwar, Suleman Panhwar, Aslam alias Sher and Munir Panhwar were killed and their accomplices -Shabir alias Akhtar, Ghulam Qadir and Faiz Mohammad alias Mama- surrendered before the police.

Police recovered seven TT pistols of 30 bore, 27 cartridges, gold ornaments, cell phones and wrist watches from their possession and shifted the bodies to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

SHO Gulshan-i-Iqbal Irfan Zaman told Dawn that the house of a lady doctor, located in the same row where the encounter took place, was vacant for sale. The gatekeeper of the house, Sardar Ahmed, was a friend of Faiz Mohammad alias Mama.

The seven-member gang had come to the vacant house on Sunday night. Around 5:30am on Monday, they barged into the house of Mr Sohail, which was most beautifully built, the SHO remarked. The SHO identified Faiz Mohammad alias Mama as the gang leader who was instrumental in carrying out several armed dacoties in Gulshan.

Following the arrests, the Gulshan police contacted the police stations in the interior of Sindh and got a sizeable record against the gang members. The SHO said that they were wanted in several cases lodged at different police stations of the Sindh.

Inspector Irfan Zaman said that Azeem was wanted in 17 cases of armed robberies in Jatli police station. Similarly, Suleman, Aslam, and Shabir were also wanted in several cases in the same police station. Munir had recently come out after serving a sentence, he added.

He said that Shabir alias Akhtar was wanted in several cases registered against him in G.R Colony, Pholayli, Baldia and Tando Yousaf police stations of Hyderabad. He was absconding in a murder case registered against him in Tando Yousaf police station, he added.

Cases against Shabir are also registered in the police stations of Hala, Saeedabad, Mithari and Badin, police said. SP Asif Ajaz told Dawn that the gang was wanted in nine cases of armed robberies, all registered in Gulshan-i-Iqbal police station. Police are further investigating the arrested accused persons.

KILLED: Two young men were gunned down in Malir on Monday night. Police said that Tariq, 25, and Naeem, 25, were sitting at a hotel near Bakra Peeri when assailants on a motorcycle sprayed them with bullets.

The wounded were taken to a nearby hospital where they were pronounced dead on arrival. Later, the bodies were shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for post mortem examination.

Police suspected some personal enmity as a possible motive behind the killing. Following the incident tension griped the area and shops were closed down. Both the victims were residents of Ghazi Bhorhi Goth, Malir, police added.