Police barred from raids after killing of youth

Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) Khalid Mehmood Hamdani has issued directives to all squads of police including Muhafiz Squad, Elite and Dolphin Force and Eagle Squad to follow new standard operating procedures (SOPs) during raids and search operations.

The directives have been issued after four personnel of Muhafiz Squad allegedly killed a youth after an altercation in the Zia Colony area of the Pirwadhai police limits late on Friday.

Police teams on patrol including field police officers have been barred from conducting raids at any location without seeking prior approval from the station house officers (SHOs) and divisional SPs.

In a letter issued to police stations, field officers, divisional superintendents of police (SPs) and others, strict instructions have been issued stating that mobile vans, officers of police stations, Elite and Dolphin teams, Eagle Squad and others deployed on patrol duty will not raid any location on their own.

The letter said that “if it is absolutely necessary to conduct a raid at any place, the whole matter will immediately be brought to the notice of the police station house officer (SHO) concerned. The SHO concerned will personally lead the raiding team and execute the operation by ensuring all security SOPs.

It has been further said in the letter that the in charge of police posts will also not conduct raids anywhere without the knowledge or permission of the SHO concerned. The letter said that the SHOs will ensure that no one is detained at any police station illegally.

It said that no officer below the rank of sub-inspector or assistant sub-inspector will be posted on patrol duty. Similarly, officers posted on patrol duty will ensure deployment at police check posts. The SHO concerned will be bound to report the information to the divisional SP and circle officer before the raid.

The CPO Rawalpindi has asked all police officers and squads to strictly implement the new SOPs. He has warned that negligence in duty and violation of SOPs will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

On Friday night, four officials of the Muhafiz Squad had killed a youth named Basit after the alleged exchange of hot words

After the incident, the relatives of the deceased and residents of the area had staged a strong protest outside the Pirwadhai police station and blocked the road for traffic by setting tyres on fire. Later, the CPO Rawalpindi suspended the four officials and assured the protestors of filing a case against the officials involved in the killing.

Later the police registered a case of murder against police officials named Shamriz, Salahuddin, Arshad and Saif on the complaint of the deceased Basit's maternal.

After the funeral prayers of the deceased, the relatives again protested against the Rawalpindi police and demanded to arrest the police officials involved in the killing.

Afzal Ahmed, the maternal uncle of the victim earlier told the Pirwadhai police that he was standing in the street with his friends and nephews named Faisal Iqbal, Basit, and Muhammad Fayaz at around 10:30 pm on Friday when the police officials showed up on motorcycles and started conducting a random body search.

The complainant further said soon situation got tense after an exchange of hot words and a policeman later identified as Muhammad Shamrez fired gunshots with his pistol which hit the victim on the right side of the chest and he fell to the ground. He also said they shifted the injured to the Holy Family Hospital with the help of other bystanders but he succumbed to his injuries there.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 10^th, 2023.