RAWALPINDI: A gang stormed a private commercial bank on Peshwar Road in broad daylight on Monday, injuring the security guards on duty and keeping the staff at the bank hostage before escaping with Rs5.3 million.

The manager at the bank, Zulfiqar Kiani, told the police that he was busy attending customers at the bank when a car stopped outside the door and three men disembarked. He said that the men entered the bank and overpowered the two security guards on duty and held the bank staff hostage.

He said the robbers threatened to kill the cashier if he did not hand over the cash at his counter. They took the money from the cash box, locked the bank staff inside the building and fled from the scene.

After the culprits escaped, the police reached the scene and looked at the CCTV footage.

The incident stirred senior police officials into action and a meeting was called to review the law and order situation in the city. A warning was issued to concerned deputy superintendents of the area and banks were told that they would be sealed in case of inadequate security arrangements.

Regional Police Officer Mohammad Wisal Fakhar Sultan Raja directed the concerned officials to carry out a detailed inspection of the security arrangements at all banks in their areas.

Until the filing of this report, the police had been unable to identify the culprits and recover the loot.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2015

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