Demonstration: Disabled man’s family says police hesitant to take action

The wife of the injured rickshaw driver claimed the firing had damaged her husband's legs.

SARGODHA:

The family of a man, who lost both his legs after being shot, protested against the police on Monday for not arresting the suspects.

Sardaran Bibi, wife of the injured rickshaw driver, Haji Ahmed, a resident of Bongah Minhas, said the firing had damaged her husband’s legs. She said he had undergone an operation that failed to save his legs. She said he was still fighting for his life.

Her mother-in-law Jalan Bibi, three children and some relatives accompanied her in the protest.

Sardaran Bibi said that some men had broken into their house on March 7 and beaten up her husband on suspicion of spying on them for their rivals. She said when her husband denied the allegations, they opened fire at him and fled.

Ahmed was taken to a hospital, where he underwent surgery on his legs and abdomen. She said his condition had been deteriorating.

She said she had reported the incident to the Jhal Chakian police, who, she alleged were hesitant to take action against the assailants. She said the assailants had been threatening to kill her children and that she had been forced to stop them from attending schools.

The protesters dispersed when Station House Officer Tariq Ahmed Shah visited them and assured them that the police were investigating the case.

In Thal Hamza area, Janpur police arrested a man on charge of setting fire to a farmer’s bamboo stock.

The complainant, Muhammad Hussain Arain, had filed a petition saying that some men had set fire to his wood in Janpur village a few days ago. He said they had also threatened to implicate him in some false case if he reported the arson to the police. Arain estimated his loss at Rs100,000.

On Saturday, a court had directed the police to arrest the suspect, Allah Ditta. Police said they were investigating.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd, 2013.