Umerkot police brutality: IG suspends 10 cops

HYDERABAD:

The eviction of families from their homes in Umerkot district on a judicial order sparked strong backlash and led to the suspension of 10 policemen, while the displaced residents were allowed to return to their houses on Friday.

The operation, carried out on Thursday in Afghan Mohalla, saw police force dozens of men, women and children out of around 25 houses belonging to the Solangi community. During the action, women and children were reportedly pushed into police mobile vans, triggering anger among local residents. The incident prompted a shutter-down strike in Umerkot and drew condemnation from opposition parties and Sindh nationalist groups.

Police officials said the action was taken to retrieve land claimed by Habibullah Shah, who stated that he had purchased the property in 1998 and completed its registry with the Sindh revenue dept in 2016. However, members of the Solangi community insisted they had been living in the area long before the alleged transaction.