Cops booked for killing Rangers cadet in fake encounter

A young man killed in a fake encounter by the Gulistan-e-Jauhar police was identified as a cadet of the Rangers college and after that the two cops involved in the incident were booked.

On Friday, the Gulistan-e-Jauhar police had claimed that two men riding a motorcycle had opened fire on them near Ismail Shaheed Chowk when they were signalled to stop. In the ensuing “encounter”, one suspect, Ateeq, was killed and his companion, Aziz, wounded. The police said they had seized a pistol from the two men’s custody.

Ateeq’s body and Aziz were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

However, Ateeq’s family reached there and maintained that their son was not involved in any criminal activity. He was a cadet at Rangers School. The injured youth, Aziz, was his relative.

Taking notice of the incident, IGP AD Khowaja ordered an inquiry and assigned DIG East Arif Hanif the task of investigating the case.

Talking to The News, DIG Hanif said on the IGP’s orders, he summoned the policemen who killed Ateeq in alleged encounter and also met the young man’s family.

Besides, evidence was collected at the scene of the incident and witnesses’ statements were recorded.

After a thorough investigation, it was confirmed that Ateeq was killed by the policemen in a fake encounter. Later, he ordered the arrest of both the policemen and directed the Gulshan police station to register an FIR against them.

The Gulshan-e-Iqbal police station after receiving the orders called Ateeq’s family and registered an FIR of murder and attempt to murder against the cops.

The FIR was registered on the complaint of Syed Imdadullah Shah, a relative of Ateeq and a resident of Gulshan-e-Kaneez, Scheme-33, Karachi.

In the complaint, Shah narrated that he and his relatives were living in a combined family set-up Gulshan-e-Kaneez since 2004 and running a private business.

Ateequllah 17, his nephew, was also living with him. He was a second year student at the Rangers College.

On Friday, Ateeq and cousin Azizullah, 19, had left their home on a motorcycle bearing number KBQ-5163 to reach a coaching center near NIPA Chowrangi.

At around 8pm, he had received a call from Aziz from the JPMC asking him to come to the hospital immediately.

Shah and his father reached the JPMC where he was informed that Ateeq and Aziz were on University Road at around 5:30pm when Gulistan-e-Jauhar police station cops, Bunal Sharif and Zafar Abbas, had signalled them to stop and suddenly opened fire on them, killing Ateeq and leaving Aziz seriously injured.

The two policemen had claimed that the two youngsters were robbers and there was an exchange of fire.

The police have registered an FIR and arrested both the cops. Further investigation is under way.

 

Protect human rights  

The incident also drew the attention of CM Murad Ali Shah who, on Sunday, ordered the IGP to probe the murder in a fair manner.

The CM used the chance to remind the police of the need to protect human rights during operations, and told IGP Khowaja to make concentrated efforts to improve the culture of police stations and the force in general.