Quetta killings: Kharotabad inquiry puts blame on Frontier Corps, police

Report says foreigners entered country illegally but this did not warrant their instant killing.

QUETTA:

The judicial tribunal tasked to investigate the killing of five foreigners in Kharotabad on May 17 has held officials of the Frontier Corps (FC) and the police responsible for the incident.

According to sources that have access to the tribunal’s report, Station House Officer (SHO) Kharotabad Fazlur Rehman and Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Raza Khan were named the main accused. “Stern action should be taken against both police officials,” the report stated.

It also stated that former Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Dawood Junejo and Lt Colonel Faisal Shehzad of the FC had mishandled the situation and recommended that action be taken against them. Shehzad was shown opening fire at the foreigners in a video filmed by a journalist.

The tribunal also said that even though the foreigners had entered Pakistan illegally or even if they were terrorists, there was no need for opening indiscriminate fire and killing them instantly. “The foreigners could be caught alive since they were unarmed and it has been observed that excessive force had been used against them.”

The report mentioned that the foreigners were trained for terrorist activities.  However, they did not possess any explosive materials, suicide jackets and arms and ammunition when they were gunned down.

The tribunal has recommended enhancing and improving the capability of the bomb disposal squad, with equipment being available at all police stations.

The Balochistan chief minister has already directed the chief secretary to make the tribunal report public. However, the report has so far not been provided to anyone or to the media.

Five foreigners, including three women, were gunned down by FC and police personnel on May 17 in Kharotabad, a suburb of Quetta. While security forces officials claimed that those killed were suicide bombers, the police surgeon who conducted autopsies found no indication that the foreigners – four Russians and one Tajik – carried explosives. All the foreigners were buried in Quetta.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 1^st, 2011.