HYDERABAD, April 7: An activist of the Muttahida Quami Movement, Shams Qureshi, was gunned down when he tried to offer resistance to four armed dacoits who were looting the passengers of a Hyderabad-bound coach on the Hyderabad-Mirpurkhas road on Sunday.

The dacoits boarded the coach (JA-1265) and deprived passengers of their cash and valuables at gunpoint.

Three of the dacoits got off the coach at Keeriya Shakh. The last was overpowered by Mr Qureshi who happened to be travelling in the coach. He asked the driver to close the door and accelerate the speed of the coach.

On not seeing their fourth accomplice, the other three dacoits sensed something was wrong and opened fire on the coach as a result of which three bullets hit Mr Qureshi’s chest and he died on the spot.

Several other accomplices of the dacoits who had been following the coach on two motorcycles helped the four to flee through the lanes of Tando Allahyar town.

Mr Qureshi’s body was taken to the taluka hospital where doctors pronounced him dead. From there his body was taken to the Civil Hospital Hyderabad.

It may be mentioned here that Mr Qureshi had earlier been serving in the Excise Department at Hyderabad. Some years ago he had been transferred to Mirpurkhas. As an MQM activist he had remained in jail for several years and faced trials in many cases.