Two staff members of the Saudi diplomatic mission to Pakistan have been robbed at gunpoint in Islamabad by unidentified robbers.
The diplomats were robbed on Sunday night and have been deprived of their mobile phones worth Rupees six hundred thousand (600,000).
The Islamabad Police have registered a case and started a search for the culprits. The Federal Interior Minister has also directed the police to make all efforts to arrest the criminals and ensure the safety and security of foreigners.
According to the reports, Margalla Police Station Islamabad has registered a case in this regard while the Inspector General of the capital police has constituted search teams and directed them to arrest the criminals at any cost and maximum limited time. The FIR was registered under sections related to robbery.
The FIR said, ‘While we were strolling in Hill View Park, two individuals, aged around 30 to 35, arrived on two motorcycles and robbed us of our two iPhone 15 Pros.” Saudi Attaché Khalid bin Modhi Al Toom filed the complaint. The value of each mobile phone was said to be Rs. 300,000 each. It said that one suspect wielded a dagger, while the other was armed and at gunpoint forcibly took two mobile phones from the victims and quickly fled the scene.
“They repeatedly demanded our passwords,” the report said adding that the suspects escaped towards Centaurus Mall.” The case was registered under section 392 of the Pakistan Penal Code. IG Islamabad Police has formed four special teams, and a superintendent of police (SP) has been tasked with investigating the incident.
The police have already started searches using digital surveillance, cellular technology, and human intelligence. The accused will be arrested soon,” the police said in a post. Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has also addressed the robbery incident involving Saudi citizens. He reached out to the IG Islamabad, instructing immediate apprehension of the suspects and initiation of further legal measures in this regard.
It is important to note that this was not the first case in Pakistan in which diplomats or foreign citizens were robbed. Earlier in April a woman from the Swiss embassy and five other people were robbed. They were held hostage for six hours, and forced to bring more money from an automated teller machine (ATM).
She was robbed near Shah Allah Ditta in the limits of Golra police station when she was on her way towards a stupa located in Taxila. She and her Pakistani companions were intercepted and were deprived of mobile phones and watches. The criminals detained four persons including the woman, and asked two persons to withdraw money from the ATMs warning them of dire consequences including the killing of the woman. Two went and withdrew Rs. 120,000 that was handed to the looters and the hostages were released.
Earlier, two armed men deprived a foreign woman of cash, foreign currency, and expensive wristwatches worth millions of rupees in Lahore. She was also held hostage in a house in Model Town for some time. The criminals looted US dollars, expensive wristwatches, and gold items. Similar incidents happened even with the Chinese nationals who were also robbed and injured in the federal capital area. (By Rana Kashif)
