KARACHI: A man who took a family hostage was shot dead in an ‘encounter’ in Nazimabad, said police on Wednesday.

They added that the encounter took place at Bangash Colony in Paposh Nagar.

In an exchange of gunfire, police killed a ‘criminal’ identified as Arif Gul, according to a police statement. The body was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.

Paposh Nagar SHO Haseeb Sheikh said that the police received a complaint from Waheed Zaman saying that his cousin Arif Gul had taken his sisters, nephew and his father hostage in a Bangash Colony home on Tuesday night and was threatening to kill them over some domestic dispute.

After receiving the complaint, the police rushed to the spot and tried to persuade the suspect to surrender. The complainant also tried to appease him, but the hostage taker didn’t open the door.

At around 1am on Wednesday, the suspect opened fire on the police. The police claimed that he fired around 40-50 gunshots. The police returned fire resulting in bullet injuries to the suspect.

Meanwhile, the family members broke the lock and left the house. The wounded suspect was taken to the hospital where he died. The police claimed to have seized a 9mm pistol from his possession.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2021