KARACHI, June 17: Police shot dead a suspected robber and arrested his accomplice on Saturday following a shootout near the headquarters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in Azizabad.

Police said the robber killed in the shootout was identified as Shan alias Shani, 27, resident of Korangi. His accomplice was identified as Jamshed Babar, 28, resident of Liaquatabad. Two TT pistols and bullets were seized from them.

DSP Johrabad Aijaz Hashmi said that Tasneem Ahmed Siddiqui, resident of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, went to a bank in Gulistan-i-Jauhar to withdraw Rs200,000. When he withdrew the amount, he noticed two men on a motorcycle were following his motorbike. Mr Siddiqui, who was with his five-year-old daughter Fatima and three-year-old son Hamza, turned towards Dastagir from Rashid Minhas Road instead of going home. As he reached near the MQM headquarters, the suspects intercepted him. He left his motorbike, took his children and ran towards ‘nine-zero’.

The police guards, deployed there, challenged the robbers, who opened fire at the police, who returned fire. As a result, one robber suffered a bullet wound to his abdomen and his accomplice surrendered, Mr Hashmi, who also reached the spot said.

He said that the wounded robber was sent to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The DSP said the suspected robbers possessed a motorbike (KBO-5909), which was on rent.

"We have sent a police team to Korangi from where the motorbike was given on rent without any verification," Aijaz Hashmi added.