Sacrilegious film protests: Defending the city, heroic cop falls
Sher Muhammad stood in front of a mob that stormed Tarnol Police Station. The Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) was hit by a bullet fired by a protester. On Friday, after fighting for his life for over two months, the policeman died at a private hospital.
After his funeral at Police Lines, ASI Muhammad’s body was sent to his hometown of Jehlum for burial. Interior Minister Rehman Malik recommended his name for ‘Sitara-e-Shujaat’ and announced compensation of Rs3 million for his family.
The mob was protesting against the sacrilegious film “Innocence of Muslims” in September and became violent after they were stopped from entering the city. After struggling with hundreds of violent protesters, some policemen resorted to baton-charging a section of the mob.
However, that only made the crowd more violent and was followed by the storming of the police station.
“Some armed men in the mob began firing at the police,” said a senior police officer who was supervising the security arrangements. The miscreants tried to enter the armoury in the police station.
ASI Muhammad was shot in the chest while trying to stop them from entering the armoury.
Despite being severely injured, he kept fighting off the gunmen till help arrived.
The bullet caused damage to his spine, which left him partially paralysed. The suspected shooter has already been arrested.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 24th, 2012.
COMMENTS (3)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Time to hang the shooter who took away a brave and responsible man's life.
We need more men like him and need to get rid of men like his killers.
Shame on us.