KARACHI: A passer-by was killed in an exchange of fire between police and armed robbers in Karachi in the wee hours of Saturday, family and officials confirmed.

The alleged shootout took place near Drigh Road on busy Shara-e-Faisal at 6am.

The deceased, identified as Maqsood, was the only brother of five sisters. He was riding an auto rickshaw with a friend when he was hit with two bullets.

Maqsood was shot in the chest and leg, according to medics at Jinnah Hospital.

Police said that Maqsood was killed after being caught in cross-fire between security personnel and armed robbers.

Two suspected robbers were also injured in the shooting.

Initially the police claimed that Maqsood was an accomplice of the firing robbers, but they later retracted their claim and blamed robbers for his death.

Maqsood’s sisters reached Jinnah Hospital, chanted slogans against the police and called for justice. “The criminal is alive while my brother has been shot to death,” Maqsood’s sister told media. “Innocent people are being killed by the police in fake encounters,” she alleged.—NNI