Robbers kill man, son, two workers

LAHORE

A father, his son and two workers were killed and two others injured in an unfortunate incident of indiscriminate firing reportedly opened on offering resistance during robbery attempt at Millat Park on Saturday evening.

The deceased were identified as Muhammad Amjad, 42 his son Tanzeel Ahmad, 22, Muhammad Abbass, a resident of Bahawalnagar and Farhan. The injured were identified as Saleem-ul-Din, son of Abdul Kareem and Gohar Sarfaraz, 40. The condition of Saleem-ul-Din was stated to be critical. He suffered a bullet injury in his chest while the condition of Gohar, who sustained bullet injury in his leg, was stated to be stable. Muhammad Abbas worked as a worker at a nearby shop while Farhan was a salesman on the photocopy shop. 

The incident occurred at a photocopy, Omni Shop also, situated in Pakki Thathi. Victims Amjad, his son Tanzeel and others were present in the shop. Suddenly, two suspects came to the shop. One of them entered the shop and other stood outside. The owner and his son offered resistance and tried to catch the robber on which the robber outside the shop opened firing. As a result, the victims suffered injuries. The robbers fled on a bike after opening indiscriminate firing. The victims were removed to hospital where doctors pronounced four of them dead.

On information of the incident, heavy contingent of police, including senior police officers DIG Operations Dr Haider Ahsraf, DIG Investigations Sultan Chaudhry, Iqbal Town SP Adil Memon, Iqbal Town Invetsigations SP Shaista Nadeem and Model Town SP Ismail Kharak, reached the spot and cordoned off the area. They also launched a search operation. Teams of Police Crime Unit, Punjab Forensic Science Agency, CIA and Homicide reached the spot to collect forensic evidences. 

Sources in police said that it was unclear whether the incident was a result of an enmity or robbery on resistance. Seeing the intensity of the loss and causalities and other circumstantial evidences, it seemed it did not happen due to resistance to robbery attempt. However, the accounts of eyewitnesses and the background of the victims hinted that it was an incident of resistance during robbery bid. 

Iqbal Town SP Adil Memon said that the motive behind the murders was still unclear. They were investigating the matter keeping in view different angles, he said.

Capital City Police Officer Amin Wains took notice of the incident and ordered the SP to submit a report.

Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif also took notice of the incident and asked the CCPO to submit a report. He also expressed his grief on the loss of lives in the unfortunate incident and offered condolences to victims’ families.