Hayatabad residents disturbed over rising robberies

PESHAWAR: The residents of Hayatabad are feeling insecure as incidents of robberies have registered an alarming increase in recent weeks.

A group of seven masked men broke into the house of a local in Sector H-3 of the Phase-II in Hayatabad on September 29 and collected valuables and cash after taking the entire family hostage at gunpoint.

“It was around 3:50am on September 29 when some men broke into our house in Peshawar from the backside. My parents heard a sound but when they woke up robbers were in front of them and they made them hostage at gunpoint. They took the family members, mostly children and women, hostage and started collecting valuables and gold,” the owner of the house, Sajid Mehmood, who lives abroad told The News on phone.

He said the robbers were carrying some breaking tools in their hands, one robber had a big knife while three men had pistols.

“They were not violent. They only wanted to collect valuables and cash without threatening anyone. One robber told my mother they were doing this since they didn’t have jobs and they have no option left but to go for the crimes,” said the owner of the house.

Sajid said the robbers took around 33 tolas of gold, valuables, two weapons and some cash. “We mentioned 15 tolas gold in the FIR as all were scared and shocked but later one of my sisters found her 18 tolas gold missing as well.