Fake encounter? Adiala Road blocked by alleged carjacker’s relatives

Local SHO says he will take action against the protesters

RAWALPINDI: The family of a 26-year-old man who was allegedly killed by the Islamabad police in an encounter held a protest at Adiala Road on Saturday evening and blocked the route by placing the body in the middle of the road.

Long queues of vehicles were seen as the family of Danish Zahid blocked Adiala Road at Dhama Syedan Mor. The protesters alleged that the Golra Police in Islamabad killed Danish in a fake encounter after subjecting him to torture.

They told members of the media claimed that the Golra police arrested Danish tortured him before taking him to the Tarnol area and killing him in a fake encounter. They claimed that the Islamabad police had registered a fake car snatching case against Danish.

Saddar Beruni SHO Inspector Yar Muhammad said that the protesters had illegally blocked the road and the police would take legal action against them.

He said that they had received information from the Islamabad police that Danish died during an encounter with the Golra police on Friday night. His body was handed over to his relatives after a postmortem at PIMS. He said that Danish was resident of Model Town in Lahore and that his sister lived on Adiala Road in Rawalpindi.

The Islamabad Police maintained that Danish had carjacked a Suzuki Baleno at gunpoint from Sector G-13. On the complaint of the vehicle’s owner, the police started searching for the vehicle.

The Islamabad police added that officials posted at a check post in Tarnol spotted the vehicle and started chasing the car. During the chase, they said, the driver opened fire on the police and was killed when the police shot back.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2016.