Injury of man in police firing triggers protest

Angry mob surrounds police station, vandalise patrol van

KARACHI:

A man was injured in police firing in Mubina Town, triggering a protest by angry residents who surrounded the area police station and shouted slogans against cops on Saturday. A committee was formed by the police high-ups to investigate the incident.

The SHO Mubina Town said that the incident happened when they were conducting snap checking on Abul Hasan Ispahani Road after receiving information about the presence of street criminals in their jurisdiction.

The policemen signaled a man, identified as Usman, to stop, but he tried to escape, on which the policemen opened fire, the SHO mentioned, adding, the suspect was arrested in an injured condition. Later a mob surrounded the police station and vandalised it.

On the other hand, residents of the area contradicted the police version, claiming that Usman was not a street criminal. They were angry that instead of shifting the injured Usman to hospital the police put him in lockup.

The enraged protesters besieged the police station, broke windows of a police van and shouted slogans against police. Police resorted to aerial firing to disperse the protesters.

Later, SSP for District East Zubair Nazir reached the police station and negotiated with the protesters to end their protest. The protesters dispersed after SSP Nazir formed a committee to investigate the whole episode. "If the policemen are found at fault, a case will be registered against them," he assured the protesters.

Injured Usman was later handed over to the protesting citizens to shift him to hospital for medical aid.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2023.