KARACHI: A woman was shot dead by armed bandits in Soldier Bazaar in the early hours of Saturday morning in the latest brutal incident linked with rising street crimes, exposing the government’s tall claims about improved law and order in the metropolis.

Police said Syed Aliul Hasan along with his wife, 41-year-old Ambreen Fatima, was driving his car at around 2.30am. When the couple entered Parsi Colony — a locality within the remit of the Soldier Bazaar police station — two men riding a motorbike, who apparently were chasing them, intercepted their vehicle and demanded their mobile phones and other valuables.

SSP East Dr Samiullah Soomro said as the husband was trying to hand over his mobile phone the robbers started firing. As a result, a bullet hit his wife in the neck. She was taken to the Aga Khan University Hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

He said that the suspects managed to escape without taking any valuables.

Till Saturday noon, the body was not brought to either the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre or Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi for medico-legal formalities.

The SSP said that after receiving information from the AKUH, he visited the crime scene in Parsi Colony. He said investigators did not find any spent bullet casing there.

The victim was said to be the principal of a school in the Soldier Bazaar area.

The police have registered a case (FIR 299/2017) under Sections 397 (robbery or dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code against two unknown men. The SSP said that the police were investigating the case to arrest the culprits involved in it.

Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal took notice of the incident and sought an immediate inquiry report from the SSP East.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2017