Daily Times

KARACHI: A day after the killing of an A levels student in an incident of street crime, the police claim to have apprehended at least 15 suspects, on Thursday.

The deceased was identified as 19-year-old Asad Khan, who belonged to a Pashtun household. He was a resident of Block 1, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, and the incident took place near his residence.

The CCTV footage viral on the social media, showing that at least three armed men riding a motorcycle were trying to snatch a cellphone from the victim who resisted and was trying to escape from the scene when one of the assailants aimed a gun at him and took a shot. The youngster received a bullet wound and was taken to the hospital by passersby. He died during treatment at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and later his body was handed over to the family for burial.

Police said the deceased was returning after offering prayers at an area masjid when the incident took place.

Police officials said that their interrogation suggested that the criminals had earlier robbed cash and a cellphone from a nearby shop. They intercepted the deceased while they were fleeing after the robbery at the shop.

No case has yet been registered.

Though there has been a massive decrease in incidents of terrorism and targeted killings ever since the Karachi operation began on September 5, 2013, on the directives of the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif, however, there has been no significant fall in incidents of street crimes. About a dozen people, including a policeman, have lost their lives and at least 50 wounded in various incidents of street crimes in parts of a city since January this year.

The police officials investigating these cases have remained unable to make arrests in majority of the cases.

Published in Daily Times, March 16^th 2018.