KARACHI: A policeman and two suspected robbers got injured during an encounter in Gulshan-i-Iqbal late on Saturday night.

Gulshan SHO Arshad Janjua said three robbers snatched four cell phones from a man and his friend near Al-Jannat Restaurant at Gulshan Chowrangi.

In the meantime, two policemen riding a motorbike arrived there. The robbery victims indicated them about the fleeing robbers.

The policemen chased the suspects who resorted to firing and when they retaliated, a suspect got injured and fell down from the bike. His two accomplices abandoned the motorcycle and tried to run. Since it was a busy area having many restaurants, the policemen also run towards them while taking care in firing. The suspects snatched a motorbike and tried to flee.

In an exchange of firing, one head constable Zubair Baloch was shot and injured while another suspect also injured. However, the third suspect fled taking advantage of a congested street.

The policeman, who received bullet injuries to his thigh, was shifted to Aga Khan University Hospital where his condition was stated to be out of danger.

Both the injured suspects, identified as Imtiaz Haider, 30, and Ibadur Rehman, 25, were shifted to the JPMC. The suspect who received bullet wounds in his abdomen was critical while the other suffered injuries to his leg.

The police have recovered four snatched cell phones, a snatched bike and two pistols from their custody.

The SHO said police’s criminal record showed that the injured suspects were earlier arrested in six cases, which were pending before courts for trial. The two injured suspects were released on bail from a court last week.

The officer said that one of the recovered 9mm pistol had been snatched from a citizen during a robbery at an estate agency in Gulshan-i-Iqbal in the recent past.

In another encounter between police and suspects at Al-Azhar Garden near Safoora, two suspects, including one in injured, condition were arrested.

They were identified as Faisal Nazim (injured) and Ahmed Khan. The injured was shifted to a hospital.

The police recovered one pistol and a snatched motorbike from their custody.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2022