KARACHI: Robbers struck the head office of the Edhi Foundation in the Mithadar area of Karachi where they held all the staff including renowned philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi hostage and made away with gold, foreign currency and other valuables worth millions of rupees.

Eight robbers stormed into the Edhi headquarters around 9:45am and broke into storage lockers that contained five kilograms of gold, foreign and local currency worth millions of rupees, according to Faisal Edhi who is the son of Abdul Sattar.

The robbers easily managed to escape from the site after an extended period of looting.

Abdul Sattar Edhi told Dawn that the looted valuables included deposits made by people.

"This [dacoity] has never happened before...I have been held up before, but was let go without being looted," Edhi said.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah took notice of the incident and ordered police to immediately arrest the culprits behind the incident.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against unknown persons at the Mithadar police station on the complaint of Faisal Edhi.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) also issued a statement in condemnation of the looting and demanded the immediate arrest of the robbers.