Karachi street crime toll hits 50

A 28-year-old LPG shop worker was shot dead during a robbery in Liaquatabad, becoming the 50th citizen killed while resisting street criminals in Karachi this year.

The victim, identified as Shehzad, was working at an LPG cylinder shop when two armed men arrived on a motorcycle on Sunday.

According to police, the suspects initially asked for a plug spanner, claiming their motorcycle had developed a fault. They left after being told that the tool was unavailable but returned about a minute later.

One of the suspects was reportedly wearing a mask. The armed men held Shehzad’s 15-year-old colleague, Tayyab, at gunpoint and forced him to sit in a corner.

They then woke Shehzad, who was sleeping inside the shop.

The suspects allegedly took his mobile phone and around Rs15,000 in cash. They then demanded the keys to his motorcycle.

Shehzad reportedly refused to hand over the keys. The robbers allegedly assaulted him before shooting him in the head.

He died at the scene.

The suspects then allegedly took the motorcycle keys from his pocket, threatened Tayyab and escaped on Shehzad’s motorcycle.

Police said the motorcycle used by the suspects was abandoned at the scene. It was taken into custody as part of the investigation.

Shehzad’s body was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital in a Chhipa ambulance for medico-legal formalities.

The incident has once again highlighted the continuing threat posed by armed street criminals in Karachi, where residents face growing risks while resisting robberies.