Ruthless drivers snuff out lives of two children

Our country’s collective disregard for traffic rules and human life brought the lives of two minors to a haunting end in separate accidents reported in the city on Friday.

On her way to school with her father, four-year-old Sakina was crushed to death as two irresponsible bus drivers thought it fit to race through the busy MA Jinnah Road near the Mama Parsi Girls’ School.

Preedy police station SHO Israr Afridi told The News that the four-year-old died while her father, Huzaifa, sustained injuries when a speedy bus, bearing registration number JB-1548, rammed into their motorcycle from behind.

Huzaifa took Sakina to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi where she was pronounced dead on arrival, added the SHO. As is the case with every guilty driver, this one also made a dash for his life and, also as per the norm, his vehicle was set on fire by a mob that gathered at the scene of the accident. He was, however, later arrested by the police.

According to SHO Afridi, the police had immediately rushed to the site and also called in a fire brigade to keep the bus from being completely burnt; the vehicle was impounded by the police, he said.

The SHO added that the girl’s father in his statement maintained that he was on his way to drop Sakina off to school when the speedy four-wheeler hit his bike from behind. He said the police handed over the girl’s body to the family after completion of all legal formalities. Furthermore, SHO Afridi said that a case was yet to be registered as the family said it would file one after they were done with performing Sakina’s burial.

Bus driver, owner arrested

District South Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Javed Akbar Riaz informed The News that the driver of the bus had escaped, but police managed to locate him arrested him in a raid later in the day.

The SSP identified the bus driver as Muhammad Salim and said that he was handed over to the Preedy police station as the accident occurred in its jurisdiction. The police also located and detained the owner of the bus, Muhammad Azam. He was being interrogated to ascertain whether the driver was trained and the vehicle fit enough to be plied on roads.

Mobsters detained

Saddar Division Superintendent of Police (SP) Tauqeer Muhammad Naeem said the police arrested 11 people for setting the bus on fire. He said the suspects were identified with the help of the incident’s CCTV footage; those seen burning the bus would be withheld while the rest will be releaed, he added.

IG’s notice

Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) AD Khowaja while taking notice of the incident sought separate inquiry reports from the South Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) and the DIGP Traffic Police immediately.

Machar Colony accident

In the other mishap reported in Machar Colony, 10-year-old boy was run over by a speedy water tanker. Docks police station SHO Waqar Qaiser said the accident occurred in Machar Colony where a water tanker, bearing registration number PP-6039, crushed Arbaz Khan to death.

The SHO stated that the boy was a resident of the area and was cycling along the side of the road when he lost control of his bike and came under the tanker. The boy died on the spot. However, the driver of the vehicle was caught, while trying to flee, by people who had crowded around the place of the accident, said SHO Qaiser.

Officials of the Docks police station reached the place and took the driver in their custody; he was identified as Mehmood Khan. The tanker was impounded and shifted to the police station. An FIR was registered against the tanker’s driver on complaint of the boy’s maternal uncle.