A suspected robber was shot dead in a police 'encounter' in Phase VI of the Defence Housing Authority in Karachi on Friday, officials said.

According to police, a citizen withdrew cash from a bank in DHA and was on his way in his car when four suspects riding two motorcycles chased him.

They waylaid the citizen, identified as Nasir Farooq, near Bukhari Commercial in Khayaban-i-Sehar, and snatched cash from him which amounted to Rs450,000 and tried to flee.

However, a police party patrolling the area spotted the suspected robbers and an exchange of fire took place. Police said the robbery victim also took out his “licensed pistol” and fired shots at the muggers.

Resultantly, one suspect got injured and fell to the ground, while his three accomplices managed to flee from the scene. It was not clear as to whose bullet hit the alleged robber.

According to South SSP Zubair Nazeer Sheikh, police recovered the cash snatched by the robbers.

The senior officer said the injured suspect was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. Police found a computerised national identity card from the suspected robber's pocket, through which he was identified as Zahid Husain, 39, belonging to Usta Mohammed in Balochistan.

The SSP said police were trying to ascertain whether the same gang of robbers was involved in other recent robberies, including one on Khayaban-i-Jami.

Last month, a passerby was shot dead during an 'encounter' between law enforcement personnel and suspected criminals in Karachi's Nazimabad-1 area.

Central SSP Murtaza Tabassum had later told media that a potato chips seller, identified as Usman Khalid, 40, was killed during the cross-fire, adding that an investigation into the case had been ordered.