In the line of duty: For murdered ASI’s family, a second sacrifice for the force is made

Karachi’s police loses solid officer whose forte was solving robberies and killings.

KARACHI:

Thirty-nine-year-old ASI Safeer Ahmad Butt, who was killed on Sunday at Jahangir Road, leaves behind three young children and a police force that has lost a skilled operative.

Police officers spoke highly of Butt, who was closely involved in investigating cases of murder, target killings and robberies.

Safeer’s career with the police started on a violent note. His brother, Maqsood, was killed in an ‘encounter’ in Korangi in the early 1990s, after which Safeer and his brother Saadat joined the force.

Over a decade later, Safeer too was killed while on duty. “This family gave two sacrifices,” remarked DIG East Naeem Borkha.

Butt was deputed at the Jamshed Quarters police station. According to Borkha, he was tasked with intelligence gathering and had recently worked on a notable double-murder case. “He was working with the ASP of the area and made a very high-profile arrest in that case,” Borkha told The Express Tribune. “He was working on the case when he received a phone call asking him to come somewhere, and then he was targeted.”

“He just ran out of the office without telling anyone, the idiot,” recalled SHO Humayun Ahmad. “He got trapped.”

Borkha refused to speculate on the motive behind the murder and said they were investigating the case. According to Ahmad, one potential lead is in the case of Fareed Shah, who was killed in an encounter in 2008, and whom he describes was a “notorious dacoit”.

ASP Murtaza, who had worked closely with ASI Safeer Ahmad Butt in recent weeks, recalled his late colleague as a very brave and courageous officer. “The SHO would designate important cases to him. He was involved in arresting several target killers, including Majid Musa Baloch.” SHO Humayun Ahmad had known him for several years. “He was a very nice person,” he recalled fondly. “The entire area will testify that he would never bother anyone unnecessarily.”

Butt’s forte lay in solving crimes of robberies and murders. “He was an enemy of robbers,” said Ahmad.

According to his former boss, Butt would solve crimes single-handedly. “He was secretive and kept things to himself. He would go out alone and bring back the suspect we wanted.”

At his funeral on Tuesday, IG Sindh Police Wajid Ali Durrani announced that Butt’s family would receive Rs2 million and the police would offer a job to an eligible candidate from his family. Durrani said 63 police officers have been killed and 110 have been injured so far this year.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28^th, 2011.