Ban likely on carrying arms in District South after guards beat up student

The police are going to recommend the provincial government to impose a ban on carrying arms and displaying weapons, particularly in the District South of Karachi, after an influential person’s security guards beat up a teenage boy in a market over the parking issue.

Initially, police have decided to take strict action according to the law against policemen and security guards for displaying weapons, particularly by plainclothes personnel.

The decision has been taken after the teenage student was beaten up by the security guards of a former MNA and leader of the Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP), Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti, in Saba Commercial area of Defence Housing Authority within the jurisdiction of the Darakhshan police station late on Sunday night.

“We are going to request the government to impose Section 144 in our district to avoid more such happenings in future,” District South SSP Sheraz Nazeer told The News. “Right now, we can arrest them because usually they provide the licences for carrying weapons, but after the imposition of Section 144, the police would be able to arrest and register FIRs against them.”

SSP Nazeer further said that till such time when the government imposes a ban, the policemen have been directed to start questioning and warning those who carry weapons openly, particularly policemen who carry weapons without uniform. “Initially, this practice will bother them and compel them to not carry out such activities,” District South police chief explained. “With adopting this new policy, the policemen and security guards are only allowed to carry weapons when they are in uniform,” warned the SSP. “No one would also be allowed to display weapons in the markets.”

SSP Nazeer said that the security guards deputed at shops and houses had been warned to remain inside the shops and bungalows to avoid creating fear and panic among the masses. He added that police had been directed to take action against plainclothes armed personnel. “Those who are in uniform are only allowed to keep their weapons concealed,” he warned.

An eighteen-year-old was tortured over a parking issue as what his mother claimed that the incident took place when he had gone to Saba Commercial to eat dinner with friends. “My son returned with home with several torture marks on his body,” she said.

“My son was beaten up by the armed security guards of former MNA Shahzain Bugti over a parking issue.” The mother also claimed that the police were also present at the time when the incident occurred; however, they did not take any action against the security guards and stood as silent spectators.

Najam, who is an A ‘level student, while narrating the story, said that the security guards beat him up after he declined to move his parked vehicle from outside an eatery. “The plainclothes armed men [Bugti’s guards] also fired aerial shots to threaten me,” he narrated. “A crowd of people was there and saw the entire scene but no one had the courage to do help me.”

Responding to information, a heavy contingent of law enforcers including Clifton Division SP Suhai Aziz, also reached the crime scene to investigate an incident. She assured the victim’s mother of taking strict action against policemen for showing negligence.

The victim was rushed to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where he was examined. A medical report confirmed the torture and it had been submitted to the police. The report said that one of Najam’s limbs had been fractured.

The police have registered an FIR on the complaint of the victim against the security guards at the Darakhshan police station. Following the registration of an FIR, the police arrested a driver and two security guards of Bugti and initiated further investigations.

Bugti’s spokesperson claimed that Najam parked a vehicle outside their residence and threatened them with dire consequences when he was asked to remove the vehicle from outside their residence. He added that the teenager misbehaved with the guards. He said that they would initiate legal proceedings against him.

On the contrary, SSP Nazeer said that the Bugti family was telling a lie as the incident had not occurred outside their residence, but it occurred in the market and dozens of people were witnesses. “Those involved in beating up the teen belong to the Balochistan police and Levies,” he said.

“We are also trying to obtain CCTV footage of the incident to ascertain how the incident actually occurred and who were actually involved.” He said that the investigators were also trying to ascertain direct or indirect involvement of Bugti in the incident.