KARACHI: Police claimed to have gunned down two suspects, said to be associated with gangs in riverine area, and recovered a septuagenarian kidnap victim in a shoot-out in the Defence area early on Sunday morning.

DIG-South Syed Asad Raza said Nazir Ahmed Qureshi was kidnapped by three persons on Saturday morning near his home in Khayaban-i-Ittehad when he was returning from Hamza Masjid after offering Fajr prayers.

He said that when Mr Qureshi did not come back, his family checked their CCTV camera footage and found that he was kidnapped by three men in a Suzuki Mehran car.

On Sunday at around 6:30am, a police patrol intercepted and signalled a car to stop near Creek Avenue in DHA Phase 7, but two occupants opened fire and tried to speed away.

The DIG said that during an exchange of gunfire, two suspects suffered bullet wounds and died on the spot. They were later identified as Aqeel Ahmed and Ijaz Ahmed. He said that Mr Qureshi was recovered safely.

The police claimed to have recovered two pistols from their custody.

The DIG said that the killed criminals were part of a kidnapping for ransom gang based in the riverine area of Sukkur.

“Their plan was to move the abductee to Sukkur and then demand a ransom for his release,” he said.

“It is believed that the same group had kidnapped a businessman from Sharea Faisal three months back and released him after taking hefty ransom,” he added.

The DIG said Mr Qureshi, who had business in Dubai, is a brother-in-law of former caretaker minister Dr Shafqat Husain Abbasi.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2024