One killed, another injured in Karachi police firing

Eyewitness contradicts police claims of quarrel, says victims were engaged in friendly conversation

KARACHI:

A man was killed and another injured in firing by policemen on the basis of "suspicion" near Techno City on II Chundrigar Road on Friday..

According to the police, the deceased, 38-year-old Aslam, and the injured, 26-year-old Waqar, were shot after they were seen quarrelling on the street.

"The officials, in a Mithadar police station mobile, fired at the citizens on the basis of suspicion," said South DIG Javed Akbar Riaz.

However, an eyewitness, on the condition of anonymity, told The Express Tribune that Aslam and Waqar were engaged in friendly conversation, with one among them tossing his mobile phone to the other, when the police van stopped by them.

As the law enforcers pointed guns at them, Aslam and Waqas raised their hands to proclaim their innocence, but the police opened fire on them, he narrated.

Consequently, Aslam sustained a bullet wound in the chest and died on the spot, while Waqar survived a shot in the arm.

The three personnel in the mobile, including constables Imran and Sarfaraz and driver Imran Habib, have been taken into custody and City SSP Muqaddas Haider has been tasked with investigating the incident, according to DIG Riaz.

He added that a transparent probe would be carried out and if found guilty, the policemen involved would be taken to task.

The deceased and the injured were shifted to Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital for medico-legal formalities and treatment, respectively.

According to Mithadar SHO Rizwan Patel, the police was trying to trace Aslam's family and was unable to do so until the filing of this report.

A case, on behalf of Waqar, has been registered against the three policemen of Mithadar Madadgar 15 following the killing. Sections of murder and attempt to murder have been placed in the FIR.