MULTAN, July 5: A man was killed in what police claimed a shootout in outskirts of the city on Saturday.

The New Multan police claimed that they were informed by a source that ‘notorious car-snatcher’ Mohammad Mazhar alias Mazhari alias Akbar was going to come to Shah Rukne Alam Colony along with an accomplice.

The police cordoned off the area and set up a picket at the place where Mazhari was expected to come. On seeing the police, the wanted man and the accomplice, who were riding a car, sped away from Sofooti Road to Mattital Road.

The police chased the culprits and finally spotted them in Darrana Langana area in the jurisdiction of Multan Sadar police.

The outlaws allegedly opened fire on the police, and a shootout ensued. In the meantime, the man riding the car with Mazhari intercepted a motorcyclist passing by, snatched the two-wheeler at gunpoint and fled the place taking advantage of orchards in the area.

After a shortwhile, firing from the side of outlaws stopped. Later on, the police found Mazhari dead near the car. Police claimed that the car used by the deceased had been snatched from the area covered by Gulgasht Police Station some time back.

Police further claimed that Mazhari was the ringleader of an inter-district gang of car-snatchers active in Multan, Vehari, Khanewal and Jhang. He was also accused of killing an employee of a filling station on Khanewal Road last month, where the anti-car-lifting cell of Karachi police had unsuccessfully tried to catch him with the help of some of his arrested accomplices.

A New Multan police official claimed that the accomplice of the deceased Mazhari in Saturday’s shootout had been identified as Farooq, who would be arrested within the next 24 hours.

No policeman was injured in the shootout.