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       Eight people were arrested on Tuesday night after a gun battle broke out between two groups of people at a call centre in Karachi’s Gulshan-i-Iqbal neighbourhood, it emerged on Wednesday.

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       The first information report (FIR) of the incident was filed at the Gulshan-i-Iqbal Police Station a day ago against the eight suspects under Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 337A (punishment for assault), 337H(ii) (punishment for hurt by rash or negligent act), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 25 (use of a firearm to commit a criminal offence) of the 2013 Sindh Arms Act.

       The incident occurred because workers at the call centre took the complainant’s daughter, another employee, hostage, according to the FIR.

       “My daughter works at the call centre, but she has been harassed by the branch manager for the past three years,” the complainant stated. “She was frustrated by it, so she told my son. My nephew also called the branch manager and told him to stay away from her.

       “When my daughter went to work on September 23 (Tuesday), the manager called my nephew and said, ‘You didn’t come to me, do whatever you want’,” the complainant added. “My sister, nephews and I went to the office at 9pm, but the doors were locked. They were keeping my daughter hostage.”

       The complainant alleged that the branch manager hurled abuse while another person drew a gun on them and fired shots when he and his nephews broke down the door and entered the premises.

       “My nephew returned fire, while the office guard also drew his weapon and began firing,” the complainant said.

       According to the FIR, someone reported the gunshots on the police helpline and personnel soon arrived at the scene, arresting five people for the firing, while three others were detained for causing the incident.

       It added that the police also seized weapons and ammunition from the suspects.

       In February, a young man was arrested in Karachi’s DHA after shooting and wounding two policemen while resisting arrest in connection with a kidnapping for ransom case. The shooter was later sent on remand by an anti-terrorism court for the incident and has a litany of charges against him, including cybercrime and the attempted murder of a journalist.