KARACHI: Two more citizens, including a young engineer, were shot dead by armed robbers in different areas of the city on Friday, police said.

They said that the first incident took place near Malir Cantonment within the remit of the Sachal police station when three robbers, riding a two-wheeler, intercepted Engineer Shoaib Shafqat, held him at gunpoint and demanded his cell phone, bike and other valuables.

The Sachal police said that the victim put up resistance and the robbers opened fire on him and rode away.

He suffered bullet wounds in the back and was taken to a nearby hospital in Malir Cantt, where doctors declared him dead.

In another incident, a man was gunned down by armed muggers in Orangi Town.

The Pakistan Bazaar police said that Akhtar James, 35, was killed and Abid Nizam, 22, wounded at Christian Muhala.

Area police officer Rana Naeem said that Akhtar was sitting outside his home when armed motorcyclists emerged there and snatched his cell. As he put up resistance, the robbers opened fire on him and rode away. He suffered critical bullet wounds in the eye and died on the spot.

His brother Akram Masih told the media that after hearing gunshot, area residents chased the fleeing robbers who resorted to firing causing bullet injuries to passer-by Abid.

Suspect who killed boy shot dead in ‘encounter’

A boy was killed when a suspected criminal opened fire at a restaurant after its owner denied him free food in the Sohrab Goth area on Friday.

Later, police claimed to have killed the suspect, identified as Nasrullah, alias Rogh Levanay, in an alleged encounter.

The police said that the incident took place in Junejo Town in which the passer-by boy, Israr Qasim, 8, suffered bullet wounds and died. They identified the injured restaurant owner as 19-year-old Abbas Saeed.

Sohrab Goth SHO Shahzad Ilyas said that it was not a robbery incident.

He said that suspect Nasrullah was a habitual criminal and he often took food items from the restaurant without any payment.

He said on Friday the restaurant owner refused to give him parathas for free. Later, the suspect arrived there on a motorbike and resorted to indiscriminate firing, killing the passer-by child and wounding the restaurant owner.

The SHO said that he was fleeing when a police patrol chased and killed him during an exchange of gunfire in the presence of a large number of people.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2024