Snitch shot dead: Police informant pays the ultimate price

Altaf Hussain had helped capital police identify robbers who had fled to village near Bahawalpur.

ISLAMABAD: The family of a police informer who helped the Islamabad Police arrest robbers paid for his life and now his loved ones are being coerced into a settlement.

Altaf Hussain a resident of Innaity, a village in Khairpur Tehsil in Bahawalpur District, was a police informer who had helped the local police and special branch identify several criminals in the area.  “He was very resourceful and had information about everybody in the area,” said a police official requesting anonymity. Hussain had helped the capital’s cops identify the group of robbers who had looted a locality in Sector F-10/3 in October 2012 and taken away Rs18.5 million and 500 grams of gold. A police team constituted to investigate learnt after three months that “the gang had run off to Bahawalpur”, said the investigation officer of the team. The police team then went to Innaity, where a local police officer arranged a meeting with Hussain. “After around three months, we identified suspect Riaz alias Naja and arrested him. During interrogation, he revealed the names of his accomplices,” said the officer. Naja also shared details as to where the gold was sold and the cash spent. During interrogations, Naja also revealed the names of members of his outfit in Lahore and other cities.



“The local police were afraid to take action against the other accomplices as they have strong political connections,” said a police official of the local police station. After Naja’s arrest, Hussain started receiving death threats and his house was also attacked. A police official from Islamabad claimed he had given shelter to Hussain as some local police officials, including the local station house officer Sarfaraz Tarrar, were searching for Hussain to “silence” him.

“I suggested he shift to Islamabad but he refused,” said the official.

He was adamant on seeing his children the day he was killed. “He left for home and after an hour, I was informed by a colleague that he had been shot dead,” he said.



He said a First Information Report was registered against the main culprit, identified as Ali Raza, who is a security guard of a local provincial legislator. It is mentioned in the report that Hussain was killed for helping the Islamabad Police arrest the robbers. The police officer said no efforts are being made to arrest the culprits who are roaming free in the town and often visit the police station. “They have the support of the local member provincial assembly,” the police officer claimed.

When contacted, Hussain’s wife Dilshad Begum said they are being forced to withdraw the FIR and reach a settlement with the culprits.

“Even SHO Tarrar is pressuring the family and threatening to register fake cases against us,” she said.

When contacted, the SHO rejected the claim that he is threatening the family and said raids are being conducted to arrest the culprits.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 2^nd, 2013.