KARACHI: A shopkeeper, who tried to help his neighbours to catch muggers, was gunned down by robbers in North Karachi on Sunday afternoon, police and rescue services said.

Central SSP Zeeshan Shafiq Siddiqi said that armed motorcyclists arrived at a shop near Saima Blessing within the remit of the Bilal Colony police station. As they demanded cash at gunpoint, the shopkeeper put up resistance and managed to overpower one of the muggers. Another shopkeeper, Abdul Rehman Muzafar, also rushed to help him. However, the robbers opened fire and fled without any loot, he added.

The shopkeeper suffered critical bullet wounds and was taken to a hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.

Later in the evening, shopkeepers and area residence staged a demonstration in protest over the killing and increasing number of robberies in their locality.

West DIG Irfan Ali Baloch took notice of the incident and suspended and reverted Bilal Colony SHO Shahzada Saleem.

Suspect shot dead in ‘encounter’

In an alleged encounter, a suspected criminal was shot dead and his accomplice arrested after they shot at and wounded a citizen in Gulshan-i-Maymar.

Police said that two suspects snatched cash and other valuables from two brothers near Janjal Goth. They shot and wounded one of them, identified as Ibrahim Channa, over resistance.

West SSP Hafeezur Rehman Bugti said a police patrol reached the spot and in an ensuing exchange of gunfire, one suspect, identified as Karam Khan, was gunned down while his accomplice, Rehmat Mohammed, was arrested.

The deceased was an Afghan national and possessed an Afghan Citizen Card, he added.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2024