Three policemen suspended for ‘wounding three citizens in aerial firing’

Three policemen were suspended on Sunday after three people were wounded in a Baldia Town neighbourhood a day earlier. The cops have been identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector Ziaullah, Police Constable Amir Khan and Police Constable Shahzad.

The Baldia Division superintendent of police will inquire into the incident, and if the suspended policemen are found guilty, a case will be registered against them and they will be dealt with in accordance with the law.

Three people were wounded in a Baldia Town neighbourhood on Saturday after a policeman’s aerial gunshots went wrong as officials tried to disperse a crowd while trying to take a suspect into custody.

Police said the incident took place in Baldia Town No. 4, where a crowd of people was buying food items for Iftar shortly before the Maghrib prayers.

A police mobile arrived on the scene, and officials caught a suspect to take him away with them to their vehicle. The crowd of people gathered around the van and caused a situation of panic.

Police said that to disperse the crowd, gunshots were fired into the air, but three people were wounded. Identified as Niaz Ali, Hussain and Jamroz, the injured were taken to the Dr Ruth KM Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi.

Following the incident, people held a protest and shouted slogans against the police. The protesters claimed that the policeman who had fired the aerial shots was not only on

drugs but had also injured innocent people by firing at them.

More officials arrived on the scene to defuse the situation. They also detained the policemen concerned. The detained policemen said in their initial statement that they had detained a suspect during snap checking but the crowd was interfering in their duty.

The policemen also said that when an official tried to fire into the air to disperse the crowd, the people attempted to stop him, which resulted in him losing his balance and injuring three people.