KARACHI: A taxi driver carrying passengers from Jinnah International Airport was shot dead by armed robbers in New Karachi on Saturday, police said.

The victim’s brother, who was also a taxi driver, had also been gunned down by muggers in the city a couple of years ago.

The Bilal Colony police said that the victim, Mumtaz Ishaq, 45, was shot at and wounded when armed muggers tried to stop his taxi and he sped away in New Karachi. He was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where he died during treatment.

New Karachi DSP Kamal Nasim said the victim was carrying passengers in his taxi when armed pillion riders indicated to him to stop. When he did not stop the vehicle, the muggers opened fire on him and fled. He suffered critical bullet wounds in the head, which proved fatal.

The DSP said the police were waiting for the heirs to lodge an FIR so that an investigation could begin to ascertain as to whether the murder was related to a robbery or something else as the suspects did not take away anything.

However, New Karachi SP Mohammed Shoaib Memon claimed that the killing was related to a robbery attempt.

The relatives of the victim told the media that the victim was father of three children and a resident of Green Town. He used to ride the taxi and pick up passengers from the airport.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2023