KARACHl: An off-duty policeman was shot dead by armed robbers over resistance in Surjani Town in the small hours of Saturday morning.

SSP-West Faisal Bashir Memon said that Constable Azeem Iqbal, 29, was returning home at about 4:30am after attending a wedding ceremony of his cousin.

He said that he was in plain clothes and riding a motorbike when armed motorcyclists intercepted him near the Green Bus terminus and tried to hold him at gunpoint to snatch his cell phone, cash and other valuables.

However, the policeman took out his licensed pistol upon which the robbers opened fire on him and fled without taking anything, the SSP added.

The constable suffered bullet wounds in the chest and died on the spot. The body was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital to fulfil medico-legal formalities.

The victim was posted at the Manghopir police station.

Suspect killed in DHA `encounter` Police on Saturday evening claimed to have killed a suspected robber and arrested his accomplice in wounded condition following an alleged encounter in Defence Housing Authority.

South-SSP Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the encounter took place on Street-18 on Khayaban-i-Shamsheer in Phase-V.

He added that the suspects resorted to firing as soon as they saw a police patrol approaching. In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, both the suspects were arrested in wounded condition.

One of them died on way to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. The second one was admitted but doctors said his condition was critical.

The SSP said that their criminal record was being checked.

An Edhi Foundation spokesperson said both the suspects were in their early 20s.