A university student lost his life but managed to kill two suspected muggers in a gun battle near New Sabzi Mandi on Karachi’s Superhighway in the early hours of Wednesday, according to Dawn, citing police and relatives.
The incident occurred when Sheikh Muhammad Nihal, 22, and his uncle, Sheikh Muhammad Ayaz, were returning home to North Nazimabad on a motorbike after attending a dinner late on Tuesday night.
SITE-Superhighway SHO Zulfiqar Bhangwar reported that the pair were intercepted by armed muggers, also on a motorcycle, near Jamali Pul. Nihal, who had a licensed pistol, fired at the muggers who also returned fire. In the ensuing exchange, Nihal and the two suspects were fatally wounded. His uncle, Ayaz, was injured but in stable condition, sustaining a bullet wound to his hand.
The bodies were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where doctors confirmed Nihal’s death. Nihal was a student in the department of Architecture at Nazeer Husain University and the only son of his parents. His funeral prayers were held later that day at a local mosque in North Nazimabad, attended by grieving family members and friends.
A grief-stricken uncle lamented the city’s vulnerability to armed robbers, while Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Ali Khurshidi, who attended the funeral, voiced concern over the rising killings of innocent citizens by robbers. He urged the governor and authorities to take immediate action to curb street crime in Karachi.
To date, 68 citizens have been killed by robbers in Karachi during the first five months of the current year. However, police claim the number stands at 52.
