Cadet student killing: Inquiry initiated against senior officials

KARACHI: An inquiry has been initiated against senior officials of the Gulistan-e-Jauhar police station about providing Zafar Abbas, one of the suspects who allegedly killed teenager Atiqullah in a fake encounter, with a weapon during deployment.

"Abbas' services were acquired for security arrangements during Muharram," said Gulshan-e-Iqbal SHO Safdar Mashwani, adding that an investigation will be carried out on who provided Abbas with a weapon and why as Police Qaumi Razakar (PQR) personnel are not allowed to bear weapons. The officer said that senior officials can also be booked in a case for their negligence and providing Abbas with a weapon.



A case was registered on Monday over the fake police encounter that killed a cadet student, Atiqullah, and injured his cousin in Gulshan-e-Iqbal on Friday. It was also discovered that Abbas was not actually a part of the operational police of District East.

An FIR has been registered at the Gulshan-e-Iqbal police station on the complaint of deceased Saeed Atiqullah's cousin, Syed Imdadullah, against two policemen Bandal and Abbas, who were present at the fake encounter. The police have included Section 302 (murder) and 324/34 (attempt to murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).



Atiqullah and his cousin, Azizullah, 19, were shot by the police on Friday evening when they were on their way to an English learning centre on their motorcycle and were signalled to stop by the police. The police had earlier claimed that the deceased and injured were robbers and were killed and injured during an exchange of fire, while the police had also claimed to have recovered a pistol from their possession.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2016.