Locals demand probe into ‘encounter’ deaths

People of area accused cops of mistaking innocent people for some criminals

MIANWALI:

Three people, two brothers and a cousin of theirs, were killed in an alleged police encounter in Mutukhel area of Bangikhel.

According to the FIR lodged by the police themselves, the SHO of Bangikhel, Inspector Nasir Aziz Khan, along with a team of the Elite Force under the command of Sub-Inspector Fayaz Ahmed, had set up a barricade.

In the meantime, proclaimed offenders Shakeel, Zeeshan, Shiraz and others appeared, riding on motorcycles, said the FIR.

As soon as the proclaimed offenders spotted the police team, they dismounted from their motorcycles, took positions and opened fire on the police team.

Right at the very moment, Mussawarullah Khan, Aamir Sohail and Ansar happened to pass by on their motorcycle having no inkling of the danger they had been moving into. Getting caught in the crossfire, they sustained serious gunshot wounds, said the FIR.

Mussawarullah Khan, 15, and his cousin, Ansar Khan, 16, died on their way to the hospital while Aamir Sohail, 30, died at the hospital. Mussawar was Aamir’s younger brother. However, area people and the victims’ families refused to accept the contents of the FIR.

Instead, they accused police of mishandling the matter. They alleged that police assumed that the three people were the proclaimed offenders and shot them dead.

The deceased had been on their way home after doing some shopping at the Shakardara Bazaar.

Hassan Shadu area of Bangikhel has descended into grief, and there’s hardly a home where tears have not been shed. The people are not only grief stricken, but they are also angry. They insisted that police mishandled the case.

Arif Khan Khattak, president of the Pakhtun Jirga and district leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami, said that the law and order situation in the area had remained bad for a long time. The administration was informed about the situation in the area.

He demanded of the IGP and the RPO of Sargodha to order a judicial inquiry into the murder of three innocent people.

He said that the future plan of action would be drawn after the funeral.

A leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Malik Pervez Iqbal, who is also a lawyer of the high court, while condemning the incident, urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan to order a judicial inquiry into the matter to be conducted under the supervision of a high court judge.

He said that the family members of the slain men must be allowed to lodge an FIR into the incident rather than the police.

The PTI leader said, “Such cruelty is unpardonable, and the people of the district must stand shoulder to shoulder with the bereaved family in order to prevent Mianwali from becoming another Karachi.”

Usman Khan, father of the slain brothers and a Wapda employee, was not in his senses due to the tragedy that had befallen him.

Meanwhile, Naeemullah Khan, brother of the slain men, had left Dubai for home. It was said that he would hold a press conference as soon as he arrived in the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2023.