• Young NED student falls prey to street crime
• In 15 days, 10 people killed, over a dozen hurt by muggers

KARACHI: Despite presence of thousands of policemen and paramilitary Rangers, armed muggers continued to operate in the metropolis with complete impunity as they killed a student of NED University of Engineering and Technology, wounded three others over resistance and deprived hundreds if not thousands of their cell phones, cash and other valuables in different localities on Thursday.

In the first fortnight of the current month, armed robbers killed at least 10 people and wounded over a dozen. The surge in the incidents of street crime and killings of innocent people just for putting up slightest resistance has exposed the tall claims made by authorities regarding an improved law and order situation in the metropolis.

The killing of the NED student sparked widespread outrage over social media with students announcing holding of a demonstration in front of the varsity on Friday (today) in protest over the gruesome incident and failure of law enforcement agencies to rein in street criminals.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who had himself studied at NED University, took notice of the killing and ordered immediate arrest of the killers.

Narrating details about the incident, Mobina Town SHO Zubair Nawaz told Dawn that some students of NED University were having tea at a tea shop on the main University Road near Samama Shopping Mall.

He said that two men riding a motorcycle arrived there, one of them got off the vehicle, held the people sitting there at gunpoint and demanded their call phones, cash and valuables.

The SHO said 21-year-old third-year student at the department of petroleum technology Bilal Nasir put up resistance and overpowered one of the muggers. However, his companion, who was waiting at some distance on a motorbike, came closer, pulled out his pistol, fired at him and rode away.

The young student, who suffered multiple bullet wounds, was taken to a nearby private hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. Later, the body was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital to fulfil medico-legal formalities.

The SHO claimed that other people sitting at the tea shop ran for safety ignoring that the victim had overpowered one of the robbers.

Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed said that the victim suffered three bullet wounds in the chest, neck and thigh.

Funeral of slain student today

According to the victim’s family, the funeral prayers for Bilal will be held after Friday prayers in Federal B Area Block 15. Currently, the family does not want to lodge any FIR or pursue the case.

Arsalan Nasir, one of the victim’s brothers, told the media that his younger brother was killed over merely refusing to hand over his mobile phone to the muggers.

The victim’s friends and varsity students planned a protest in front of the NED University on Friday (today) at 3pm after his funeral.

Talking to Dawn, Anas Faisal, who has been friends with Bilal since 2020, said: “Bilal was the kind of person you’d want in your corner if you ever were in trouble. That’s all I can say. He was just a jolly guy with an extra-large place for his friends in his heart. To his last day, he shared memes and videos about [FIFA] World Cup, cars he wanted to see in real life.”

Meanwhile CM Shah took notice of the killing and directed the Karachi police chief to immediately arrest the culprits.

He also directed law enforcers to accelerate the operation against dacoits and street criminals.

Three wounded over resistance

Armed robbers shot at and wounded three men over resistance in separate incidents.

The Manghopir police said that water tanker driver Sabir Husain and his helper Abdul Manan were returning from Hub River when some suspects signalled them to stop.

Area SHO Haji Sanaullah said that when they tried to speed away the criminals opened fire and bullets hit both the persons. They were shifted to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi, where their condition was stated to be out of danger.

The SHO claimed that the suspected robbers have been identified and efforts were under way to arrest them.

In Orangi Town, armed men shot at and wounded 21-year-old Usman when he put up resistance to their mugging bid near Quba Masjid.

The Mominabad police said that the wounded youth was shifted to the CHK for treatment.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2022