Tribesmen protest ‘assault’ by Rangers

Accuse officials of killing infant, injuring 20 others during the raid.


Tariq Ismaeel/owais Jafri March 01, 2012

ROJHAN:


Dozens of Sandani tribesmen on Thursday staged a demonstration against Pakistan Rangers over an assault on fellow tribesmen during a raid in Rojhan on Tuesday night.


As many as nine men were arrested by Rangers in the raid in Yazman area on charges of attacking a convoy.  The protesters, who had gathered in front of Goth Mazari police station, denied that anyone from Sandani tribe (a sub-tribe of Mazari tribe) had attacked the Rangers’ convoy or some official. They threatened that their protest would continue till the nine men arrested on Tuesday were released and the case against them withdrawn. The protesters alleged that a seven-month-old child, Firdous, was killed and 20 people injured during the raid.

One of the protesters, Shedu Khan, said nobody from his tribe had attacked Rangers officials.

He said the tribesmen would not approach the police for action over the killing of the child. “We don’t expect the police to take any action against the Rangers. We will avenge the killing ourselves,” he said.

He said the injured were not taken to a hospital because Rangers could pick them up from there.

Border Military Police’s Azam Khan denied that a child had been killed in the raid. He said investigation had revealed that people had already gathered for the child’s funeral prayers when the raid took place.

He said the child had died from natural causes. He quoted raiding team members as saying that some of the tribesmen had opened fire on them. They said they had fired back in self defence.

On Wednesday, the Rangers handed over the nine men to DSP Azam Khan Gishkori at the Shah Wali police station after a demonstration by Sandani tribesmen on Indus Highway that continued for over ten hour, halting traffic moving between Karachi and Multan.

The suspects have been identified as Sidhi, Bakha, Payo, Riaz Gul, Samad Khan, Niazo, Lerri   Hazara  and Sanda.  An FIR has been registered against them at Goth Mazari police station under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The FIR registered on Rangers’ complaint identifies 13 men and mentions 30 unidentified men.

SDPO Rojhan Shah Aleem Gishkori told The Tribune that the men were accused of assaulting a Rangers team. He said action would be taken against them in accordance with the law.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2nd, 2012.

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