‘Who has issued police with licence to kill innocent people?'

Condemning the killing of a 16-year-old student in an allegedly fake police encounter, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has demanded a free and fair investigation into the sad incident.

A group of PTI lawmakers, led by provincial assembly opposition leader Haleem Adil Sheikh, visited the home of the deceased Arsalan Mehsud to offer their condolences to his father Liaquat Mehsud. MNA Alamgir Khan, MPA Malik Shehzad Awan and other leaders were part of the delegation.

Talking to the media after offering condolences, Sheikh appealed to the Sindh High Court to take notice of the transgressions of the police taking place day in, day out across the province. “The Sindh police have started target killings in the province, and another patriotic Pakistani has been given the bullet-riddled corpse of his young son after the incident of Naqeebullah Mehsud,” he said.

“There is no need for robbers and assassins in the province when we have the Sindh police. Who has issued the police with the licence to kill innocent people of the province?” Sheikh said West Zone DIG Nasir Aftab claimed to have put the relevant SHO Azam Gopang behind bars, and the DIG also shared with him a picture showing the arrest.

“But it was disclosed later that Aftab had misinformed me, and Azam Gopang had not been apprehended. Besides the SHO, we also hold the DIG responsible for the incident.” Rising street crime incidents demonstrate the failure of the police in curbing such incidents across the province, said the PTI leader, adding that instead of arresting the outlaws, the police were targeting law-abiding citizens.

“The PTI stands shoulder to shoulder with the victim’s family, and will not leave any stone unturned for the dispensation of justice to the bereaved family.” The Orangi Town SHO was suspended and two men, including a police constable, arrested on murder and terrorism charges after the teenage boy was shot dead and his friend wounded on Monday.

West Range DIG Nasir Aftab told The News that the initial findings submitted to him showed negligence on the part of SHO Azam, who was then suspended and would face departmental proceedings.

DIG Aftab said PC Tauheed, who had fired on 16-year-old Arsalan, was also found guilty and had committed the offence along with his friend Umair, following which the police were directed to register an FIR against them.

The case has been registered at the Orangi Town police station on the complaint of Badshah Khan, uncle of the deceased boy, under the sections of murder, attempted murder, dacoity and terrorism.

According to the FIR, Khan owns a private business and is a resident of Muhammad Khan Colony. He said he was in Naval Colony when he received a call from a relative, who informed him that his nephew Arsalan and friend Yasir had been injured during a dacoity.

Khan was told that the boys were under treatment at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, but when he reached the hospital, he received the news that Arsalan had succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

He was informed by relatives that as per his daily routine, Arsalan, an intermediate student, and his friend Yasir were returning home on a motorbike after receiving tuition from a teaching institute near the Board Office.

When the boys were near Orangi Town’s Qatar Masjid, armed men opened fire on them, following which Arsalan was killed and Yasir wounded, said the uncle. DIG Aftab said the police investigation shows PC Tauheed, who was not in uniform, and his friend Umair were on a motorbike when the boys were shot, leading to Arsalan’s death.