Sindh police register over a dozen cases against protester

Authorities will use CCTV footages and social media videos to identify unnamed suspects

KARACHI: The Sindh police, following orders from the federal government, has started registering cases against the protesters who blocked roads during the recent three-day protests in the wake of the Supreme Court judgment in the Aasia Bibi case. Over a dozen FIRs have been registered in various police stations of the city. Some cases have been filed against named culprits while others have been registered against unidentified suspects. The police will use closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) footages and social media videos to nab the suspects.

The federal government had directed the provincial government to carry out a crackdown against vandals and demonstrators who blocked the roads. The provincial government had already imposed Section 144 before the protests began.



On Saturday, Sindh Inspector General of Police (IG) Syed Kaleem Imam chaired a high level meeting in which the decision regarding registration of cases against those who blocked roads was taken. Between Saturday and Sunday, the authorities registered over a dozen cases against the violation of Section 144 and the blockades of roads in various police stations.

Commenting over the cases, East Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Captain (retd) Ghulam Azfar Mahesar told The Express Tribune that case numbere 18/273, bearing charges of 34/341, has been registered against unidentified suspects who blocked the Baloch Colony Expressway at Kashmir Plaza. The obstruction had affected a large number of citizens in their commute and residents had also faced difficulties in reaching their homes. Captain (retd) Mahesar further said that the main sit-in was organised at Numaish Chowrangi, against which a case has been registered at Soldier Bazar Police Station.

Another case, number 18/1033, has been registered against the forced shut down of a mill in Korangi Industrial Area Police Station. According to City SSP Dr Samiullah Soomro, FIR number 18/258 has been registered at Garden Police Station and another FIR has been registered at Kharadar Police Station, in which hundreds of unknown suspects have been named in addition to local leaders of a political party.



According to Central SSP Arif Rao, two FIRs were also registered in District Central for the blocking of roads.  Moreover, case number 18/266 has been registered at Airport Police Station, case number 18/637 has been registered at Sachal Police Station, and case number 18/304 has been registered at Steel Town Police Station, according to Malir SSP Irfan Bahadur.

According to police officials, over a dozen cases in all have been filed in various parts of the city. The law enforcement agency has said that footages from different CCTVs installed in various points of the city as well as social media videos showing agitation of the protesters will be used to identify and apprehend the suspects.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2018.