KARACHI, March 8: A young shopkeeper was shot dead by armed bandits on Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan Road in Saddar on Monday. Following the incident, shopkeepers lodged their protest by closing their shops and staging a sit-in on road.

Police said that two armed men came to a jewellry workshop located in Ummat Al Hussain Building. At gunpoint, they demanded cash and jewellry from the shopkeeper, Syed Azhar Ali. On his resistance, they shot him dead and fled with jewellry worth Rs45,000.

The bandits were making their escape when some shopkeepers apprehended one of the suspects, who was later identified as Khurram. A TT pistol was recovered from his possession. However, his accomplice managed to flee. People roughed up the bandit before handing him over to the area police.

All the shops and business centres in Saddar were closed down to protest against the killing. Police said that Syed Azhar Ali, 22, was a resident of Korangi. He had been working at the shop for the last six years, police added.

Ferozabad police shot dead an unknown armed suspect near Baloch Colony Bridge on Sunday night. Two armed men were collecting cash and valuables from pedestrians when a police mobile reached the spot, ensuing an exchange of fire. One of the suspects was shot dead by the police while his accomplice managed to escape.