A shopkeeper, an alleged bandit and a passer-by were killed in a single chain of events that started with two armed men looting pedestrians at the Rexer Lines Bus Stop in the Old Golimar area on Tuesday.
Witnesses told Pakistan Today that two armed persons riding a motorcycle were robbing valuables from the people around the bus stop and went into an electronic items shop. They shot dead the shop owner, Mohsin Baloch, when he resisted their robbery bid killing him on the spot.
The witnesses added that a Pak Colony police van was parked opposite to the shop where the incident took place, but the law enforcers did not react. The police personnel’s lethargy enraged citizens, who set the police mobile on fire.
The mob also torched two rickshaws in reaction to the killing of the shopkeeper. The protesters forced the closure of business activities in the area and burned tyres on the road, resulting in the suspension of vehicular traffic.
However, the police traced the suspects, and during a brief shootout, an alleged robber and a passer-by were killed while a policeman also suffered bullet injuries.
Liaquatabad TPO Naveed Khawaja told Pakistan Today that two armed men riding a motorcycle looted pedestrians at Rexer Lines Bus Stop, Old Golimar and then entered a shop, killing its owner on offering resistance.
“As the criminals were fleeing the scene after killing the shop owner, the Pak Colony police chased them. The motorcyclists were signalled to stop, but they opened fire at the police,” said Khawaja, adding that when the police retaliated, one of the alleged bandits was killed.
The Liaquatabad TPO added that a passer-by was also killed in the cross fire between the police and the suspects.
The deceased were shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH), where the alleged robber was identified as Muhammad Akhtar and the passer-by as Akhtar Mehmood.
