Kharotabad killings: Surgeon attacked ‘over testimony’
A police surgeon who had conducted the autopsies on the bodies of foreigners who were shot dead in the Kharotabad area of Quetta earlier this month was attacked late Monday night.
According to an Express 24/7 correspondent in Quetta, Muhammad Kazim said that the surgeon, Dr Baqar Shah, was visiting a restaurant on Prince Road when up to 10 people pulled up outside and dragged the surgeon out. As the men tried to drag the doctor away to their vehicles, he put up resistance, upon which the men beat him up. His wounds were so severe that he had to be rushed to the civil hospital.
Earlier in the day, Dr Shah had recorded his statement in the ongoing tribunal on the Kharotabad killing incident in which five foreigners were gunned down at a check post by police and FC personnel on suspicion that they were armed suicide bombers.
In his testimony, Dr Shah confirmed that all the victims had died of gunshot wounds from the police and FC weapons fired from a distance of 50 - 60 feet, instead of a hand grenade as claimed by the police. This is one of the incriminating evidences pointing towards gross negligence of the police and FC personnel.
The victims, a five-member party of men and women of Russian and Tajik nationalities, were unarmed. An inquiry report presented to the parliamentary committee on the killings also said that none of the victims had fired a shot, and that FC personnel injured in the incident had been struck by bullets fired by other FC personnel and police.
Speaking to Dunya TV, the surgeon said that the men who were trying to abduct him were abusing him over his testimony before the judicial commission probing the incident.
The Balochistan police chief has ordered the registration of a case against all police officials involved in the alleged torture of the doctor.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, the Inspector General of Balochistan Police Rao Amin Hashim said that DIG Operations had received a message that an Assistant Sub Inspector of Police was drunk and had attacked the doctor. After receiving this information on the police wireless system, the DIG Operation directed the police to immediately reach the spot and arrest the policemen involved.
WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING FROM ASAD KHARAL IN LAHORE
Published in The Express Tribune, June 14th, 2011.
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