Police encounter: Jirga wants inquiry into ‘extrajudicial murder’ of local
Warns of protests unless demands are met within 48 hours
Police, however, stuck to their story that Joni was a notorious criminal involved in drug deals and other criminal activities. PHOTO: AFP
ABBOTABAD:
A grand jirga of people from Abbotabad and representatives of the local government have demanded a judicial inquiry into the alleged extrajudicial killing of a local.
Unless the inquiry is launched in the next 48 hours, they vowed to stage a protest.
Junaid Khan, also known as Joni, was a resident of Mohalla Lakhpati Chowk, Nawanshehr. He had been shot dead by police in an alleged encounter while raiding the suspected hideout of a drug peddler. However, his family had contested the police’s claim that Joni was a drug peddler and instead accused the police of killing him extrajudicially.
A jirga was held in Nawanshehr on Tuesday and was attended by notables of the area including nazims of different village councils and their councilors. While discussing Joni’s killing, the Jirga contested Nawanshehr police’s claims that he was a drug peddler.
They claimed that Joni had been picked up from his home by a police party and taken to the police station where he was first subjected to brutal torture and then shot dead. His body was later dumped in the graveyard to make it look like an encounter.
The jirga demanded judicial that an inquiry be initiated to ascertain the facts besides registering criminal cases against DSP Amjad Hussain and Nawanshehr SHO Sheryar Khan.
Police, however, stuck to their story that Joni was a notorious criminal involved in drug deals and other criminal activities.
The stated that on the night of September 23, police raided his house after receiving a tip that he was there. Officials said that when they approached the house, Join opened fire at them, critically injuring constables Waqas and Sher Ali. In the ensuing exchange of fire Joni was critically wounded but managed to flee along with six of his accomplices. The alleged drug peddler, however, succumbed to his injuries.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2016.
A grand jirga of people from Abbotabad and representatives of the local government have demanded a judicial inquiry into the alleged extrajudicial killing of a local.
Unless the inquiry is launched in the next 48 hours, they vowed to stage a protest.
Junaid Khan, also known as Joni, was a resident of Mohalla Lakhpati Chowk, Nawanshehr. He had been shot dead by police in an alleged encounter while raiding the suspected hideout of a drug peddler. However, his family had contested the police’s claim that Joni was a drug peddler and instead accused the police of killing him extrajudicially.
A jirga was held in Nawanshehr on Tuesday and was attended by notables of the area including nazims of different village councils and their councilors. While discussing Joni’s killing, the Jirga contested Nawanshehr police’s claims that he was a drug peddler.
They claimed that Joni had been picked up from his home by a police party and taken to the police station where he was first subjected to brutal torture and then shot dead. His body was later dumped in the graveyard to make it look like an encounter.
The jirga demanded judicial that an inquiry be initiated to ascertain the facts besides registering criminal cases against DSP Amjad Hussain and Nawanshehr SHO Sheryar Khan.
Police, however, stuck to their story that Joni was a notorious criminal involved in drug deals and other criminal activities.
The stated that on the night of September 23, police raided his house after receiving a tip that he was there. Officials said that when they approached the house, Join opened fire at them, critically injuring constables Waqas and Sher Ali. In the ensuing exchange of fire Joni was critically wounded but managed to flee along with six of his accomplices. The alleged drug peddler, however, succumbed to his injuries.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2016.