Extra-judicial death: Patrolling team accused of killing fleeing motorcyclist

Akram said his brother was hit with the handle of a policeman's pistol and fainted.

BAHAWALPUR:

Phatianwala patrolling police have been accused of killing a villager.

Muhammad Akram said that he was riding pillion his brother Muhammad Irfan who was driving a motorbike to Hasilpur on Thursday when a police team signalled them to stop.

He said Irfan did not stop the motorcycle and the police team started chasing them. He said on Vehari Road, near Basti Narbaan, the police jeep hit the motorcycle and they fell off.

Akram said the police officials grabbed both of them and one of them started beating Irfan. He said he hit Irfan with the handle of his pistol and he fainted.

He said the police officials then stuffed him in a police van and took him to Hasilpur tehsil headquarters hospital.

Irfan was declared dead on arrival. Akram took his brother’s body to Hasilpur Missile Chowk to protest against the brutality. He was joined by more than two dozen people who blocked Bahawalpur Road, Vehari Road and Chistian Road.

Hasilpur police officials Rao Naeem Shahid, Mohsin Sardar and Rana Akmal met with the protestors and tried to negotiate with them but they refused to listen to the police.

The protestors dispersed after Minister Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada’s son Mian Raza Pirzada came and spoke with them.

Patrolling police in-charge Arif Bajwa told newsmen that Irfan had died in the police van hit.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st, 2013.