Encounters and arrests: Party worker shot dead, three criminals apprehended

The raids were conducted in Ahsanabad and Gulshan-e-Buner after a tip-off

KARACHI: A worker from a politico-religious party was allegedly shot dead by the police, while three alleged criminals were apprehended during targeted raids in the metropolis on Sunday.

A Sunni Tehreek (ST) worker was killed in an alleged encounter with the police near Saleem Centre, within the limits of New Karachi police station. The party and the deceased's family claimed that the incident was an extrajudicial killing, while the SHO has been suspended and an inquiry initiated into the incident.



The body was shifted to the Edhi morgue in Sohrab Goth after medico-legal formalities were completed at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. The deceased was later identified as 30-year-old Faisal Qadri, son of Salman.

New Karachi SHO Chaudhry Afzal, who has now been suspended, told The Express Tribune that Qadri had been involved in at least 14 cases of crime, including target killings, extortion and police encounters. Afzal added that the police traced him while patrolling the area early on Sunday morning. He said that Qadri opened fire at the police, trying to escape, but the police fired back in retaliation, killing him on the spot.

After the family and the party claimed that Qadri had been gunned down in an extrajudicial killing, senior police officials suspended SHO Afzal and initiated an inquiry against him. "Whether the criminal did the killing or the policeman, the only option the authorities have is to suspend the SHO," said Afzal. "Of the 14 criminal cases Qadri was involved in, five were cases of target killing."

Qadri's family claimed that the police killed Qadri after arresting him. "The police arrested him on Saturday near our home," they said. "We found his body at the Edhi morgue after some channels aired the news."



ST has also condemned the killing of their New Karachi Town sector member. "All the cases registered against him were fake; he had been bailed out and released from jail two months ago," a party spokesperson told The Express Tribune. "Suspending the SHO is not enough. We want an FIR registered against him for murder and his arrest." He added that the inquiry should not be held under the supervision of serving District Central SSP Noman Siddiqui, but instead should be carried out by another law enforcement agency to uncover the facts.

Separately, three alleged criminals, including members of a banned outfit, were arrested during targeted raids in two different areas of the city.

According to a Rangers spokesperson, the raids were conducted in Ahsanabad and Gulshan-e-Bunair after a tip-off.

He added that three criminals, including militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, were apprehended and weapons seized from their possession. The suspects were shifted to an undisclosed location for further questioning.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2014.