Lady police constable shot dead in presence of 13 cops

NOWSHERA: A lady constable of the police commando force was killed and her sister injured when their rivals allegedly opened fire on them in the presence of 13 cops in Akbarpura town of Nowshera district on Thursday, officials said.

Giving the details of the incident, District Police Officer Najmul Hasnain said a man, Saqib, a resident of Aleesha area in Akbarpura town of the Nowshera district, was murdered on April 11, this year.

Three persons -Tehsinullah, Abdullah and Fazal Taj, sons of Faridullah, stated to be brothers of woman constable Safia Naz were accused of the murder and nominated in the case. The DPO said all the three accused were declared absconders and police in Akbarpura had later sealed their house as per the law. The lady constable Safia Naz and her sister Neelam, the wife of Liaqat, had moved the Peshawar High Court against the action. The court had allowed both the women to collect the belongings from the house.

It was learnt that lady constable Safia Naz and her sister Neelam reached the family's sealed house on Thursday in Mohallah Malkaan along with a truck to collect the belongings. The two women were accompanied by Station House Officer of Akbarpura Police Station, Abdul Baseer Khan, ASIs Safiullah Khan, Lateef Khan and 10 other cops. It was learned that the women members of the late Saqib, who had been killed allegedly by the brothers of the lady constable, reportedly attacked Safia Naz and her sister Neelam and thrashed them. Later the male family members of the attackers joined the fight and allegedly opened fire that left lady constable Safia Naz dead and her sister Neelam seriously injured. The woman cop was killed and her sister injured by the rivals as 13 police officials stood around unmoved. The assailants fled the scene after committing the crime as the police officials stood nearby. The injured woman, Neelam, was shifted to the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar in a serious condition.

Registering the first information report with the police, Neelam, nominated Arshad, Nazeer Muhammad, sons of Fazal Muhammad, Naseem, son of Naseer, Asad, son of Bashir, Munsaf, son of Nazeer, for the firing and killing her sister and leaving her injured. The DPO said the SHO, two ASIs and other 10 other cops acted cowardly during the crime. He said all the 13 cops had been suspended and a case registered against them under the Police Act. DSP Tayyab Jan, however, said a case was registered against the cops, excluding the SHO. He said 11 cops had been put in quarter guards.