In two separate incidents on Wednesday, a young man and a police officer were shot dead by suspected robbers in Karachi’s Korangi area, the police said, as street crimes continue to rise in the city.

In the first incident, 24-year-old Qayum Umer was shot and killed while resisting a robbery near the Ghousia mosque in the locality.

Armed pillion riders looted the victim’s cousin at a distance, Korangi Senior Superintendent of Police Sajid Amir Sadozai told Dawn.com.

“He was standing outside his home when he saw the robbers looting his cousin. As Umer raised a hue and cry, the robbers opened fire on him and fled,” the official elaborated, adding that the man suffered a single bullet wound in his chest, which proved fatal.

Meanwhile, Umer’s relatives told the media that the victim was an orphan who sold vegetables in the area to earn a livelihood and originally hailed from Mansehra.

Karachi Additional Inspector General (AIG) Javed Odho has taken notice of the killing and ordered the suspension of Korangi SHO Amir Azam, the police spokesperson said in a statement.

On the other hand, East Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Muquddus Haider said that police patrolling and snap-checking were enhanced in the area after the incident.

Separately, a police head constable was martyred by suspects in an encounter in Korangi on Wednesday, according to Zaman Town police and rescue services.

The police stated that the encounter took place between police officers and the suspects in sector 51-C of Korangi where after an exchange of firing, one policeman, Manzoor Ahmed, 38, was martyred.

Providing more details, the DIG said that two policemen — part of the Shaheen Force tasked with tackling street crimes — had indicated two suspects to stop in Zaman Town. “However, they opened fire on the officers and martyred one of them.”

Muggers gunned down, two policemen injured in encounter

Korangi Industrial Area police also said that in another encounter in the area, two robbers were gunned down while two police constables, namely Khan Razik and Sajid, were injured after an exchange of firing.

SSP Sadozai said that both injured constables were patrolling the area when they indicated the bike-riding suspects to stop. He added that the suspects then opened fire on the policemen.

The SSP said the condition of one policeman was critical while the other was said to be stable. The police recovered two pistols, mobile phones and one motorbike from the suspects’ custody, he added.

DIG Haider said that one of the injured police officers identified the two dead as the same with whom the Zaman Town encounter had taken place.

He said the police were probing the possibility that the same suspects might have earlier gunned down the citizen during robbery resistance as the three incidents took place in the vicinity of the same locality.

However, Haider said the deceased suspects’ involvement in all three incidents would be verified with “witnesses’ accounts and matching of spent bullet casings found from the crime scenes”.

SHO, citizen injured by robbers

In another similar incident today, Site Super Highway Industrial Area (SSIA) police said that Bin Qasim Station House Officer Idrees Bangash and a passer-by, Asif Ibrahim got injured by firing from armed pillion riders at an estate agency office in Ahsanabad.

East SSP Syed Abdul Rahim Shirazi said the SHO was there for some personal work and was sitting with his friends when armed muggers arrived.

He added that the suspects attempted to snatch cash and other valuables from them but the SHO overpowered one suspect while his accomplice opened fire, resulting in bullet injuries to the police officer and his friend.

SSP Shirazi said one suspect identified as Nadeem was also shot and injured by firing from the injured officer. In the meantime, the police rushed to the spot and also arrested the other fleeing suspect, Zeeshan.

Shirazi said the SHO was moved to Aga Khan University Hospital for treatment.

DIG Haider said that cash awards and appreciation certificates were announced for the injured SHO and policemen who “fought the criminals with bravery” after the incidents.

Today’s incidents come after a spate of street crimes in the metropolis that has claimed the lives of many during the show of resistance to robbery attempts.