Criminal negligence?: Police van crush two to death in Mardan

Teenage boy, six-year-old allegedly run over by Nowshera police.

MARDAN:

A teenager and his niece were killed when a police van ran over them on Bypass Road in Mardan on Friday.

Saleem Khan, an official of Mardan Medical Complex casualty police, said two bodies were shifted to the hospital at around 11:00am.

Samiur Rahman, uncle of the deceased teenager Uzair, registered an FIR saying a police van en route to Nowshera crushed his nephew and six-year-old granddaughter Atiqa, killing them both on the spot.

Khan said Mardan police impounded the van, while the accused driver, who could not be identified, managed to escape. Khan said the van belonged to the Nowshera police.

When residents were informed about the incident they picked up both bodies and took them to Sugar Mill Road where they launched a protest. Demonstrators demanded the government to arrest the culprit. Relatives of the deceased blocked the road for more than one hour and were chanting slogans against the police demanding the accused officials be arrested and cases filed against them.

City police DSP Khalid Nasim Khan visited the protesters and assured them the accused would be arrested after which the road was opened. The bodies were shifted to their hometown, Tambulak, for burial.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 22^nd, 2013.