KARACHI: Armed men shot a police head constable and critically wounded him in the Defence area on Friday, police said.

Defence SHO Ghulam Nabi Afridi said armed pillion riders opened fire on 40-year-old Head Constable Khalid Ali Khan at Defence library signal when he was returning home on a motorcycle. As a result, he suffered critical bullet wounds and was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for treatment.

SHO Afridi said the wounded constable was posted in Security-11 and was returning home after performing his duty. He was wearing the police uniform. The sus-pects also took away his pistol after wounding him.

The police rushed to the spot immediately and also engaged the suspects in an encounter but they managed to escape, the officer added.

Another police officer said that as Khalid`s bike slowed at the library signal, two suspects riding a motorcycle, ostensibly chasing him, arrived there. One of them disembarked from the bike and attacked him with fists.

The head constable fell from his two-wheeler and then the suspect shot him in the chest and snatched the pistol. He was not in a position to give statement.

DIG-South Syed Asad Raza said that the injured officer was a resident of Shirin Jinnah Colony. He opined that the incident might be motivated by some personal enmity.