Encounters: Four ‘criminals’ gunned down

Law enforcers arrest, then release, over two dozen suspects

KARACHI: Four suspected criminals were gunned down in separate police encounters across the city, while workers of a political party were held for their alleged involvement in criminal activities by law enforcement agencies on Tuesday.

Two alleged street criminals were killed during an exchange of fire with the police in Aansu Goth within the limits of Malir City police station. SHO Rao Zakir claimed the two suspects, riding a motorcycle, were busy looting citizens when police reached the site and warned them to surrender.

The suspects started firing and tried to escape. After an exchange of fire, the two were shot dead, said the SHO.

The police also seized a stolen motorcycle, and weapons from their possession. The bodies were shifted to the Edhi morgue in Sohrab Goth after medico-legal formalities were completed at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. SHO Zakir said the accused, identified as Mazhar and Ghulam Abbas, were also involved in various cases of extortion and murders.

Two more suspected criminals were shot dead during an alleged encounter with the police in PIB Colony. Police said the encounter took place during a raid at a drug den near Essa Nagri. The den allegedly belonged to Saeed Rehman alias Kashi.

DSP Nasir Lodhi said the criminals resorted to indiscriminate firing at police when they were busy cordoning off the area. After an exchange of fire, the police killed two suspects and arrested another two in an injured condition. The wounded suspects were identified as Zeeshan and Ghulam Hussain, while one of the slain suspects was identified as Talib Ali. Police seized pistols and narcotics from them. The bodies and injured were shifted to Jinnah hospital.

Separately, Rangers apprehended a member of a banned outfit. The accused, identified as Tariq, was taken into custody during a targeted raid in Lines Area. According to the Rangers spokesperson, the accused belonged to the banned sectarian outfit Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. The spokesperson said the accused had also visited Waziristan and Afghanistan, and had connections with the Taliban as well.

In a separate raid in Lines Area, the Rangers arrested another suspect associated with a political party. The accused, identified as Shahnawaz Haider, had allegedly been involved in various cases of target killings. The Rangers spokesperson said the suspect was the unit incharge of the party. The spokesperson added that both suspects have been taken into 90 days preventive custody, after they were produced before an anti-terrorism court on Tuesday.

In another incident, two suspects were reportedly taken into custody during a raid conducted by law enforcers in Shah Faisal Colony. Police sources said the accused belong to a political party and were allegedly involved in the recent attacks on Rangers' check-posts on Rashid Minhas Road and Sir Shah Suleman Road. However, no relevant official confirmed the news about the arrests.

On the other hand, around 25 people were taken into custody during an overnight intelligence-based raid against criminals in Baloch Colony. The suspects were shifted to Baloch Colony police station for further questioning, from where most were released as they were found innocent.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2016.