No weapons training: Bank staffer dies after guard’s gun goes off ‘accidentally’

The guard allegedly received no weapons training; another staffer was injured in the incident

RAWALPINDI:

A female staffer at a private multinational bank was killed and a male colleague was wounded on Thursday, when a bank guard accidentally discharged his weapon.

Hina Gul, 30, a cashier at Dubai Islamic Bank, was shot in the neck, while Haris Ali Rana was shot in his legs. Gul was pronounced dead at District Headquarters Hospital, police and Rescue 1122 officials said.

The police said Muhammad Umer Khan, the bank guard, was checking his gun when it “went off”.

The guard is said to be untrained in firearms use and was new at the bank, situated on Haider Road, Saddar.

Cantonment Police lodged an FIR against the security guard and the security company he worked for — Security 2000. The police have also decided to write a letter to Punjab Home Department requesting the cancellation of the security company’s business license.

Cantonment Circle DSP Iqbal Kazmi said that the guard was checking his loaded 12-bore pump-action shotgun when it went off.

Kazmi said that pellets hit Gul under her left ear, adding that she was sitting in a cash room adjacent to the cash counter. Rana was collecting cash when he was hit.

The DSP said the police had collected evidence including the weapon used and had arrested the security guard.

The police officer added that Khan was recently hired by Security 2000 and Thursday was his first day on the job.

Khan, the DSP said, was hired and deployed at the bank, without being given any training by his supervisors.

The case was registered on Rana’s complaint.

Dubai Islamic Bank Operational Manager Ahmer also confirmed that the guard was hired by the company just a day before being deputed at the bank and was untrained.

Doctors handed over Gul’s body to her family after a postmortem.

One of Gul’s relatives said that she was the only breadwinner for her mother and two sisters, adding that her father Abu Al Biyan died seven years ago.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th,  2015.