ATTOCK, March 12: Police here suspect that the five bank robbers it arrested on Saturday in Waisa village may be linked to some militant group and to other bank robberies in the area.

District Police Officer Zafar Iqbal Awan told Dawn on Sunday that a case had been registered against the five, and a sixth accomplice who escaped. A team headed by SP Syed Zahid Hussain Shirazi would investigate the case.

The Rangu police, assisted by local residents, gave chase to the robbers soon after they looted a commercial bank in Waisa village and arrested them in injured condition after an encounter. A sixth member of the gang escaped, however.

One of the robbers, Mohammad Sohail, told reporters who visited the injured in the hospital that they belonged to a seminary in Akora Khattak.

DPO Awan hoped that their arrest would help resolve other robbery incidents in the area, particularly the one in Attock city last December in which the robbers made away with Rs6.213 million after killing the bank’s guard.

Police and eyewitnesses said in Saturday’s robbery in Waisa village on the bank of river Indus six bearded persons entered the bank around 11:45am and opened fire to harass the staff and clients.

They took the bank staff and clients hostage, tied their hands and legs and locked them up in the bank’s strong room. They then collected Rs400,908 cash from the bank counters and escaped.

Meanwhile the bank’s guard activated the security alarm that panicked the robbers who started firing in the air to make their way through the alerted people.

However, police and local residents pursued the fleeing robbers and overpowered five of them after a brief exchange of fire near Sirka area. The sixth robber managed to escape with the looted money.

On receiving the news, DPO Awan reached the scene of the encounter with a heavy contingent of police and shifted the injured robbers to the district headquarters hospital amid tight security.

They were identified as Kazim, Waqar Ali Shah, Mohammad Sohail, Rizwanullah and Rehmat Gul. The sixth accused who escaped was identified as Marjan.

At the hospital, the accused Mohammad Sohail confessed to the crime and being students of a seminary. He claimed that they committed the robbery to fulfil their monetary needs and to pay back loan.

HBL workers dismissal condemned: Muttahida Mehnatkash Mahaz, Attock, President Rana Liaquat Ali Khan has condemned the summary dismissal of over 2,000 non-clerical cadre employees of Habib Bank by the new management without giving them any prior notice.

In a statement here on Saturday, Mr Rana, who is also district coordinator of ARD, Attock district, said that the employees having 20 years of service were sacked and reportedly forced to sign a contract with a private company to deprive them of the medical, housing, social security and other benefits available under the law. He urged the bank management to reinstate all employees.