Three killed in 'fake encounter'

Relatives, friends block highway for two days to make police register case against SHO

HYDERABAD:

The Mehran Highway in Khairpur district remained closed for a second day as the relatives of three young men who were shot dead in an encounter by Kot Lalu police demanded FIR on the SHO and other cops. The DIG Sukkur on Friday suspended the concerned SHO Noor Din Khuharo while directing him to report at the Sukkur Range office.

However, the families of slain Mujataba Shar, Aqib Shar and Moula Bux Shar said they will not end their protest until the SHO is booked in an FIR. They alleged that the three men were shot dead at the SHO's residence by some private persons and later the police coloured the killings as encounter. The PPP's Khairpur based MPA Shiraz Shaukat Rajpar has also demanded an impartial inquiry of the incident.

On Friday the Inspector General of Sindh Police Javed Alam Odho defended the Khairpur police for the encounter, saying that the department cannot initiate punitive action against the officials under pressure of a protest. According to him, an official inquiry is underway into the encounter and before its conclusion any action will be before time. The three slain persons were shot dead on February 3.

Prominent social activist Shafqat Ali Shah has condemned the killing of three innocent people in alleged fake police encounters in Kot Laloo, Khairpur.

He described the incidents as a blatant abuse of power by the police, causing widespread grief and alarm. He expressed concern over the Sindh government's apparent failure to address such human rights violations by law enforcement agencies.

Shah demanded that the government and the IG Sindh police register cases against the officers involved and ensure a transparent investigation.