KARACHI: An alleged robber was shot dead when the robbery victim retaliated with his licensed weapon and police also arrived on the spot and returned fire in Defence Housing Authority on Friday, said police.

A citizen drew cash from a bank in DHA and was on his way in a car when four suspects riding two motorbikes chased him.

They intercepted the citizen on Khayaban-i-Sehar, snatched Rs450,000 cash from him and tried to flee.

In the meantime, a police party on patrol reached there and an encounter ensued in which the robbery victim also used his licensed pistol against the muggers.

One suspect was wounded in the encounter and fell down from the motorbike while his three accomplices managed to escape, said South SSP Zubair Nazeer Sheikh.

The police recovered the snatched cash from the wounded suspect.

The wounded suspect was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

He was identified as Zahid Husain, 39, hailing from Usta Mohammad area of Balochistan as per CNIC found in his pocket, added the officer.

The South SSP said that they were trying to ascertain as to whether the same gang of robbers was involved in recent robberies, including the one on Khayaban-i-Jami the other day, in the area.

‘Five drug peddlers held in DHA’

The Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) and police jointly carried out intelligence-based actions in different areas of district South and detained five suspects on Friday, said a spokesperson.

The held suspects identified as Khayal Mohammed, Abdul Hameed, Zar Nawaz, Irfan and Zakir were allegedly involved in smuggling of drugs.

During interrogation, the suspects ‘confessed’ that they had smuggled drugs from Quetta and Gwadar and supplied the same in DHA and other localities of the metropolis.

Two 30-bore pistols, one 12-bore shotgun, one airgun, two cars, 93kg hashish, 300g heroin and 800g marijuana were seized from them.

They were handed over to police for further legal action along with arms, ammunition and drugs.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2021