Drug wars: Man killed, three including two constables wounded

Faizan Shah died on spot while his elder brother Nehmat Shah was seriously wounded.

HARIPUR:

A man was shot dead while his elder brother and two police constables were wounded in an exchange of fire in Sheikh Choorh Tehsil Ghazi village early on Sunday. However, the heirs of the deceased contradicted the police account and accused the police party of resorting to unprovoked firing at the unarmed brothers.

Headquarter Superintendent of Police Najib Bhagvi said the Ghazi police received an intelligence report that two brothers, Faizan Shah and Nehmat Shah, were involved in drug peddling and one of them was sentenced by the court last year. A police party headed by Station House Officer Ayaz Khan got a search warrant from the local magistrate and reached their home, but when they knocked on the door to present the warrant, the two brothers and their father opened fire at the police party, injuring constables Naseer and Azmat.

When the police returned fire, Faizan Shah, 25, died on the spot while his elder brother Nehmat Shah was seriously wounded and shifted to Ayub Medical Complex in critical condition. The two constables were reportedly shot in their shoulders and thighs and were admitted at the Haripur District Headquarter Hospital; however their condition was stated to be out of danger.

Meanwhile Subhan Shah, the father of deceased, while talking to The Express Tribune, disputed the police claim, adding that there had been an altercation between his sons and a head constable of the Ghazi Police Station four days back over their alleged involvement in drug selling. However, after the boys proved the police wrong after a body search, they said the constable threatened to “teaching them a lesson”. He accused the police party of killing his son and wounding the other only to punish them for the exchange of harsh words. He demanded an inquiry into the killing of his son.

Mir Afsar Shah, an ex councilor of the area and close relative of the accused brothers, said that although the two brothers were involved in selling hashish in the past, they had quit the illegal trade. He also accused the police party of committing an extra-judicial killing.

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