Demanding justice: Scuffle breaks out between students, demonstrators

CHARSADDA:

Demonstrators from Rajjar area took to the streets on Saturday to protest against the murder of a seven-year-old boy killed by unidentified kidnappers in Charsadda.

City police official Shafiullah said Muhammad Zada had filed a case on Friday, stating his nephew Ibrahim had been allegedly kidnapped by unidentified men from near his house in Sheikhabad. The police launched an investigation following the incident, but at around 9:30am on Saturday, a pedestrian informed the police of spotting a boy’s body dumped in a field. It was identified as Ibrahim.

Later, protesters led by Haji Bahadur, an elder, blocked Tangi-Charsadda Road, suspending traffic for more than two hours. They also forced residents to shut down all schools in the area. As a result, students from Government High School for Boys clashed with the protesters. A 10th grade student Barkatullah and a school teacher Haji Inam Jan, were injured in the ensuing scuffle.

The school’s principal, Sharif Gul, filed a case against the protesters for forcibly closing down the school. Residents of Rajjar demand culprits must be arrested within three days.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2013.