Suspect who robbed Amal’s family held

Police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested one of the suspects in the case of 10-year-old Amal Umer’s killing during a shootout between cops and suspected robbers in the Defence neighbourhood. At least eight more members of the gang involved in dozens of street crime cases are yet to be arrested.

The encounter in which the minor lost her life had occurred near the Defence traffic signal on the night of August 13. The police had initially claimed that the girl was killed by the suspected robbers, but it emerged later that she was hit by a bullet from a police sub-machine gun.

On Tuesday the police announced that they have arrested one of the suspected robbers, identified as Khalid Abdul Khaliq, resident of Hijrat Colony. “I am a rickshaw driver,” disclosed the suspect. “I am also a part of a 10-member street crime gang.”

The suspect said he and two of his accomplices were robbing mobile phones, gold and other valuables from people when the encounter took place, adding that they had looted people in different parts of the city, including Artillery Maidan, Korangi Industrial Area and Baloch Colony.

“After robbing the people in the car [Amal’s family], we were looting other citizens in another car when the police came after us and we exchanged gunfire.” The investigators claimed that the suspect has so far admitted his involvement in at least seven street crime cases.

The station investigation officer of the Defence police station, Imdad Ali Khawaja, said the suspect was arrested in a raid in the Artillery Maidan area after receiving a tip-off. The police said they have confiscated weapons, ammunition and a mobile phone as well as impounded the suspect’s rickshaw. The officer said that three of the 10-member gang were involved in the shootout, with one killed, another arrested and the third still on the run.

Khawaja said the suspect who was killed in the encounter was identified as Shahzad, alias Shan Masih, adding that the suspects robbed people while travelling in the rickshaw and they had committed at least five muggings on August 13.