KARACHI: An army official was shot dead in what police described as a robbery incident that took place on main M.A. Jinnah Road.

Police said Major Saqib Iqbal, 30, was killed by armed pillion riders near Dilpasand Sweets late on Thursday night.

SSP South Pir Mohammed Shah told Dawn that the police were investigating the incident. “At this moment, we are not sure whether it was a targeted attack or a botched robbery,” he said.

He added that the police got some technical help while intelligence agencies were also helping to apprehend the killers. However, till Friday night no one was arrested in connection with the killing of the army officer.

Police along with intelligence agencies probing the killing from all angles but no arrest has been made

Arambagh police officer Rasheed said that Major Iqbal was on a motorbike and before the killing he drew some cash from the ATM of a bank on M.A. Jinnah Road.

He said two suspects riding a motorbike intercepted him and tried to snatch cash and other valuables. The suspects opened fire when the major put up resistance and rode away.

The army officer sustained a single bullet wound in the head and died on the spot, he said, adding that the incident took place at around 11.30pm on Thursday.

The suspects did not take away his two mobile phones, cash, official pistol and the motorbike.

The body was shifted to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi. His family did not allow doctors to conduct a post-mortem examination, said police surgeon Qarar Ahmed Abbasi.

He said that he was shot in the head from behind from a very close range.

The Arambagh police said that the victim was posted at Malir Cantonment and was on Eid leave. He was a resident of Gulshan-i-Iqbal Block 13-D.

Young man drowns in sea

A young man drowned in the sea on Friday while swimming despite a ban imposed by the authorities on it, police and Edhi Foundation said. They added that Imran, 20, was swimming at the Sandspit beach when strong current swept him away.

The body was retrieved later, said Mauripur SHO Zahid Husain.

The deceased was a resident of Baldia Town.

The area SHO confirmed that the home department had imposed a ban on swimming under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

However, the officer added that hundreds of thousands of people visit the Hawkesbay beach on holidays and it was not possible for the area police to enforce the ban owing to shortage of manpower.

He said the police detained several youths from the same point prior to the drowning incident. He claimed that it was a “dangerous point” and policemen were deployed there to prevent people from swimming.

Man drowns in Hub Dam

A 33-year-old man drowned while swimming in the Hub Dam on Friday.

An Edhi foundation spokesperson identified the victim as Arif, a resident of Landhi.

He along with his relatives had gone on a picnic. The body was later retrieved and handed over to the family.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2019