Road blocked over death in ‘police encounter’

Local residents of Lakki Marwat have demanded a judicial inquiry into the murder of a local young man who was shot by police in the Bego Khel area of the district on Monday.

Hundreds of family members and local villagers staged a protest demonstration against a local SHO who allegedly shot a local man who was armed with AK-47 and tried to escape after spotting a police mobile.

They started a protest on Monday evening which continued all night. The protesters placed the coffin on the road and blocked it for all kinds of traffic.

They said that the deceased Saleem Khan was innocent and due to the law and order situation in the district carried a rifle all the time but the SHO and his party killed him and then declared him a wanted criminal.

They demanded that deputy commissioner (DC) or district police officer (DPO) should negotiate the matter but all in vain after which the villagers called for further help and announced a permanent sit-in against it.

Later Additional Deputy Commissioner Tariq Mehmood and DPO Ziauddin reached the spot and announced suspension of the SHO and assured an inquiry against him on which the protesting mob opened the main highway linking K-P with Mianwali district of Punjab.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24^th, 2022.