Senior journalist shot dead while saving citizen during robbery bid in Karachi

KARACHI: A senior journalist working with private channel, Samaa TV, was shot dead during a robbery bid in the North Nazimabad area of Karachi, Geo News reported Friday.

The police said Athar Mateen was killed at a main thoroughfare in North Nazimabad while he was on his way back home after dropping his children to school.

They said that Mateen, who was driving a car, tried to foil a robbery bid when he saw armed motorcyclists robbing another citizen by shoving his car into their motorcycle.

At this, one of the motorcyclists, who fell on the ground, opened fire at Mateen's car.

The assailant fired three shots, but Mateen sustained only one bullet injury which killed him on the spot, the police said.

Meanwhile, the assailants crossed the road on foot and fled while snatching another motorcycle.

Police suspect the incident to be of resistance during a robbery. However, a final statement will be given after an investigation.

According to initial investigations, police found only one bullet shell of a 30 bore pistol and assailants' motorcycle from the crime scene.

Mateen was the brother of renowned anchorperson Tariq Mateen.

Sheikh Rasheed condemns incident

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed expressed grief over Mateen's death and sought a report from the Sindh chief secretary and inspector general of police.

In a statement on Twitter, Rasheed strongly condemned Mateen's death, saying murder of a senior journalist at the hands of robbers is a gruesome incident.