RAHIM YAR KHAN: Dacoits shot at and injured two gold traders on Saturday, allegedly depriving them of gold worth Rs180 million in an incident on busy Nowshehra Canal Road near Andhaywala Pull, a few meters away from City A Division police station.
As per police sources, two gold traders, Suleman and Khurram Shehzad of Multan, came to Rahim Yar Khan, carrying 10 kilogram gold in a bag to supply it to local jewelers on their SUV.
When their vehicle crossed the Andhaywala bridge onNowshehra Canal Road, six unidentified armed dacoits riding on motorcycles intercepted them at gunpoint.
When the traders offered resistance, one of the dacoits opened fire, leaving both of them critically injured. Dacoits then escaped with the gold bag.
Nowshehra Canal Raod is one of the busiest road which passes from the centre of the city.
As per local sources, the traders visit Rahim Yar Khan twice a month to deliver gold to different local jewelers.
The injured traders have been shifted to the Sheikh Zayed Medical College Hospital (SZMCH), where their condition is said to stable.
On being informed of the incident, a police team arrived at the crime scene and collected evidence.
Immediately after the incident, local jewelers closed their shops in Sarafa, Saddar and Sadiq bazaars and gathered at the city bridge, where they were joined by other traders on the call of Anjuman-i-Taajraan and staged a demonstration in protest against the dacoity.
The trader leaders criticised the increasing lawlessness in the city and rising incidents of theft, robbery and bike snatching.
Some of them also questioned the “success” of the massive police operation in the Katcha area against dacoits, saying there was no let-up in crime in the area.
They demanded immediate registration of the First Information Report (FIR) under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Police spokesperson Saif Ali Wains, in a Whatsapp message said that DPO Rizwan Umar Gondal has taken notice of the incident and ordered immediate arrest of the dacoits and recovery of looted gold.
He said the police have also launched a search operation to trace the dacoits.
Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2023