RAWALPINDI: An armed man allegedly held 22 members of his family hostage for over 15 hours and shot and killed his father-in-law and injured a constable on Saturday in his home in Officers Colony, Morgah.

The suspect is a 35-year-old local contractor who allegedly killed his father-in-law and a police official when they attempted to apprehend him and free the hostages.

Police apprehended the suspect after an exchange of fire, and arrested him after breaking down a wall of an adjoining house.

One killed, two, including suspect, injured; victims include seven children, wife, mother of suspect

The suspect and police constable Mohammad Khurram fired at each other and both were injured and shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, where doctors said they were out of danger.

A case has been registered against the suspect on charges of terror, kidnapping, murder, attempted murder and firing on a police party. The police also recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition from the suspect’s possession.

“We saved 22 people, including seven children and a woman on a ventilator who was more than 100-years-old after a 15-hour armed siege,” a senior police officer who led the rescue operation said.

According to sources and the police, the suspect was a local contract who owned an excavator and other heavy machinery, and lived in the Officers Colony in Morgah. They said he had lost his machinery in gambling.

They said he first went to the rooftop of his house and tried to commit suicide, and later held his wife, siblings and other family members at gunpoint in his house.

A heavy contingent of police led by Superintendent of Police (SP) Potohar Division Syed Ali attempted to free the hostages after being called by locals.

After the suspect opened fire on the police, the SP summoned a section of Elite Force Commandoes to launch a rescue operation.

In the meantime, Mohammad Shakoor, the father-in-law of the suspect who had arrived from Sialkot, asked the police to let him meet with the suspect and free the hostages.

As Shakoor entered the house, the suspect opened fire, killing him on the spot, police said.

They said Mr Khurram was trying to capture the suspect when he was shot. The constable also fired at the suspect in retaliation.

The exchange of fire between the suspect and the police spread fear within the locality.

SP Ali told Dawn the police had apprehended the suspect, rescued the hostages and seized arms and ammunition from the house.

He said there were seven children among the victims who were all below the age of six. The suspect’s wife and his mother were among the hostages.

The SP said the suspect was mentally ill, and that his demands had not been clear, but his actions had spread terror within the locality.

The rescue operation was a difficult one, he added. “We had to break the wall of the house to enter it, as there was no other way to enter the house. The injured constable Khurram and the gunman were shifted to DHQ Hospital, and the investigation will be held after his treatment,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2017