LAHORE, July 26: Robbers took away cash and valuables worth over Rs0.4 million from the family of Punjab chief minister’s media consultant Rauf Tahir in Sattokatla police limits on Tuesday.

Two robbers stopped the car the family of Mr Tahir was traveling by near Khiaban-e-Jinnah and looted cash, seven-tola gold ornaments and two cell phones.

An application has been submitted to Sattokatla police for registration of a case. In another incident, over a dozen armed robbers took away cash, jewellery and cell phones, all worth about Rs0.4 million from Lahore Press Club secretary Azam Chaudhary and his family at a picket on Main Ferozepur Road near Iqbal Nagar (district Kasur) early on Tuesday.

Azam Chaudhary, who is a crime reporter of a leading Urdu daily, was returning Lahore from his native town along with his family when he spotted a gang of robbers looting citizens after setting up a road picket near Iqbal Nagar.

As he tried to speed away, the outlaws opened fire at his vehicle and forced him to stop.

The robbers then took Azam’s son Abdullah hostage at gunpoint and did not release the child till the family handed over the valuables to them.

Azam complained to the police that robbers fired indiscriminately at the motorists who tried to speed away and looted dozens of them.

FIRE: A fire broke out in a house in M-Block of Gulberg-III on Tuesday, burning down valuables worth Rs200,000.

Rescue 1122 said Shaukat alerted the rescuers about the fire which possibly erupted due to short circuit.