Sindh police on Tuesday claimed to have killed during an encounter in Qambar-Shahdadkot one of the two suspects involved in the murder of journalist Athar Mateen.

Mateen, who was associated with Samaa TV, was returning home on February 18 after dropping off his children at their school. As he reached Shah Medical Hospital, Block-A, near KDA Chowrangi, he witnessed two armed robbers trying to rob a passer-by. He accelerated his car and hit the motorbike of the robbers, who fell on the road.

The muggers opened fire at Mateen, leaving him dead on the spot, and escaped after snatching the motorbike of another person. The police had later impounded the motorbike abandoned by the robbers.

Police had been conducting raids to nab the killers and one of them was arrested last week.

In the latest development, the other suspect has been killed in a joint encounter by Qambar-Shahdadkot Police and West Karachi Police, according to an official handout.

Police said they set up cordons near Shahdadkot Road in Noor Wah area on Monday night on a tip-off about the presence of the criminal in the area.

Shortly afterwards, according to the statement, cops spotted a motorbike and signaled it to stop. However, the man riding the bike opened fire on the law enforcers, and as a result, they retaliated.

The deceased was identified as Muhammad Anwar, son of Shadi Khan, a resident of Khuzdar, Balochistan.

His body was moved to Taluka Hospital Qambar-Shahdadkot for medico-legal formalities.

According to police, a motorbike and weapons were recovered from the possession of the deceased criminal. "He was wanted to police in robbery, theft and other heinous crimes."

The deceased had also served a jail sentence at least three times in the past, police said.

Earlier in the day, Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab also confirmed that a suspect in journalist Mateen's case had been killed .

Prime Minister Imran Khan had condemned the "brutal murder" of the journalist and directed law enforcers to take every possible step to bring the culprits to justice.

Earlier this week, journalist bodies, including the Karachi Press Club, Karachi Union of Journalists and Karachi Union of Journalists (Dastoor), had protested outside the police headquarters demanding immediate arrests of Athar's killers.