Youth injured in encounter dies at hospital

Police claim suspect responded by opening fire on them

DIJKOT:

A youth who was injured in a police encounter on Naranwala Road eight days ago died of his injuries at the Allied Hospital on Saturday.

On February 18, Civil Lines police personnel stationed at Nabha Road signaled a motorcycle to stop. Police claimed the suspect responded by opening fire on them.

Following retaliatory firing, police followed the accused, who had fallen from his bike on Naranwala Road and 16-year-old Ali Hamza, son of Zahoor Ahmed, ninth-grader, was shot andinjured in the ensuing gunfight.

He was admitted to Allied Hospital after first aid, where Ali Hamza died after a life-and-death struggle for eight days. Police returned his body to the family after the postmortem.

After receiving the body, they protested against the police outside the mortuary unit, claiming that their son Ali Hamza was unjustly killed by the police.

Later, police officers reached the spot, negotiated with the protesters and assured them to inquire into the matter after which the protesters dispersed.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 27^th, 2022.