‘Fake’ encounter: Inquiry report corroborates police claim

KARACHI:

Police officials investigating the controversial killing of a student in a police encounter have prepared the initial inquiry report, which suggests the youngster was a robber.

Zakariya Muhammad was killed by police late Friday night in Gizri and police officials claimed that he, along with his companion, tried to escape after looting citizens in Defence Housing Authority.

The provincial home minister had ordered police officials to conduct an inquiry after the boy's family staged a protest on Saturday, claiming he was killed by the police in a fake encounter. In the report, police officials stated that the suspects were killed after an exchange of fire took place when the police, who were on routine patrol, intercepted the two boys who were fleeing after committing a robbery. Earlier on Saturday, however, police officials had claimed the robbery victims had informed them that they were in pursuit of the suspects as well. In the FIR, there is a difference of over one hour between the time of the robbery and the encounter. "A robber is a robber. He [Zakariya] was the robber and that is enough," said Gizri SHO Imran Zaidi when asked about the controversy.



"The family is making fools of everyone. The first thing they claimed was that Zakariya was a student and getting education [in Malaysia] but his passport confirmed that he went to Malaysia on a one month visit visa," said the official. He added that there are also a contradiction in the family's statements, as someone says Zakariya had arrived in the city for his own wedding preparations, while others say he arrived in Pakistan to attend someone else's wedding. Similarly, the family first stated that he left his home to withdraw money from the ATM and then changed their story, saying that he had gone to take money from his friend in Defence, said the officer.

"Zakariya's friend who was also wounded in the encounter and is currently in police custody also confessed to the crime. The case was over when the complainant has identified them [Zakariya and his arrested friend] and Zakariya's friend confessed to the crime," said SHO Zaidi.  Zakariya's family refuted these claims and remained insistent that the police high-ups were trying to help their fellow cops by declaring Zakariya and his friend robbers.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 4^th, 2016.