Karachi: 4-year-old killed in shootout between robbers, security guard

KARACHI: A four-year-old girl was killed during a robbery at a supermart in Karachi’s Shah Latif Town Wednesday night.

According to the mart’s manager, six armed muggers entered the mart at around 8 pm and held all employees hostage at gunpoint. The dacoits left the mart after looting Rs78,500, he disclosed.

The robbers opened fire while leaving the supermart, revealed the manager, adding that the mart's security guard fired at them in response.  During the exchange of fire, one of the robbers was injured. 

One of the bullets injured four-year-old Harmain, who was passing through the place on a motorcycle with her elder brother. 

The wounded girl was rushed to a nearby hospital, however, she could not survive. Her brother demanded justice from the government.

Police have registered a case under the manager's supervision and have launched an investigation into the incident.

Police said they are investigating if the bullet that hit the girl was fired by the security guard or the dacoits.

Police arrested injured suspect Pyar Ali and recovered weapons and Rs50,000 from his possession, while the other two dacoits managed to flee.

Talking to journalists outside the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), Sikandar Ali, the minor girl’s uncle, said that Harmain was going to the hospital with her brother when she was hit by the bullet. He said that they did not know whether the bullet was fired by the guard or the dacoits.

“When the incident occurred, Rangers were present at a short distance,” he said. After finding no ambulance nearby, his nephew approached the Rangers personnel and sought help but they refused any assistance.

Later, he himself brought his injured sister to the hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead upon arrival, said Sikandar.

Their ordeal did not end yet, as the hospital authorities refused to carry out the medico-legal examination of the minor girl, citing unavailability of the lady MLO, he said. Sikandar said that they were told that the lady MLO will arrive at the hospital at 11 am and then she will carry out the medico-legal examination of the victim.

He called upon the government to take action and arrest all culprits involved in the incident.