Police arrest man who took own family hostage

RAWALPINDI: A man who made his own family hostage in a Morgah Officers Colony house Friday night on some domestic dispute was finally overpowered in a police operation early Saturday morning.

A total of 23 people, including six children, wife and close relatives of the hostage-taker, were got freed. The entire area looked like a battlefield, with the area people peeping from behind their doors and windows as the police engaged the accused.

After an intense exchange of fire, the Elite Force commandos managed to overpower the injured accused and shifted him to Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Hospital.

The man, identified as Abdur Rahim, 35, gunned down his father-in-law and injured an Elite Force commando Khurram Shahzad.

SP Potohar Town Syed Ali Mehdi told The News that they received an information at around 10pm on Friday that a drunkard equipped with an automatic gun had made his family and close relatives hostage and might kill people anytime.

One of the accused’s sons managed to steal out to safety.

The family members informed the hostage-taker’s father-in-law Akbar Khan in Sialkot about the situation.

Akbar reached the house Saturday morning and as he stepped in, Rahim opened fire, injuring him critically.

Police commandos cordoned off the house and engaged Rahim. Two tear gas shells were also lobbed into the house after which the police commandos jumped in benefiting from the smoke clouds and pinned the accused down.

The accused was a businessman running his construction company.

Rahim was brought to Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), while two injured persons were taken to the District headquarters Hospital (DHQ).

Director District Headquarters Hospital Emergency Department Khalid Janjua told The News that two injured persons, including the Elite Force commando Khurram Shahzad, were brought to the hospital.

He said Khurram was stable after the operation, while Akbar Khan died of injuries.

According to police, Rahim had tried to commit suicide by jumping off the roof Friday night, but he was saved.

Rahim’s cousin and one of the hostages Tahir Khan, 22, told this reporter that a total of 23 people had been taken hostage.

He took us all on gun-point. We cried for mercy but he would not listen,” Tahir said. He said Rahim did drugs and was mentally unstable.

Talking to media persons, City Police Officer (CPO) Israr Abbasi said the police avoided conducting the operation, as young children were also among the hostages. We engaged the accused when we saw the situation slipping out of our hands,” he said.

Regional Police Officer (RPO) Fakhar Visal also visited the DHQ Hospital to see Khurram. The police have registered a case against the accused and started investigation.