Sikh Hakeem, passer-by injured in Peshawar robbery attempt

PESHAWAR: A Sikh hakeem and a passerby sustained bullet injuries when an armed man opened fire on him in his dawakhana (pharmacy) near Kohat Adda here on Tuesday.

The superintendent of police Saddar Farhan Khan told reporters the attacker was arrested immediately after the crime. He said the motive behind the attack was being investigated. He said the Sikh hakeem, Papindar Singh, was present at his shop when the armed man opened fire on him.

The herbalist sustained bullet injuries to his leg. A passerby was also wounded when he was hit by a bullet in his hand. Both the injured were said to stable. Some reports said the locals caught the armed man, identified as Ahmad a resident of Peshawar, when he was fleeing. He was handed over to the police.

Early reports had suggested the armed man was a target-killer. Other reports later said the armed man was either a robber or extortionist who had come there for extortion. Some officials said the held man was a drug addict and had a criminal record.

"Initial reports suggested the motive was either robbery or extortion. It doesn't seem to be target-killing but the investigation is going on," another official said. Both the crimes, target-killing and robberies, have been on the rise in the provincial capital for the last several months. Besides, a number of people have come under attack by the target-killers in the past months.