Citizens decry teenager’s killing

'Abrar was shot dead by the police while trying to rob a citizen', according to his family

Citizens staged a protest outside Sachal police station against the killing of 15-year-old Abrar in an alleged encounter with the police on Friday night. Abrar’s family members also participated in the demonstration and accused the police of murdering the boy in a ‘fake’ encounter on Thursday. Pointing to his age, his mother said the police should have taken action in line with the law if he had done anything illegal. Meanwhile, his brother said the family had been searching for him for two days before the SHO informed them he had been killed. Demanding justice, the protesters said they would take the matter to the Sindh IGP, governor and chief minister. The police later permitted Abrar’s family to collect his body. According to them, he was shot dead by the police while trying to rob a citizen.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2020.