Citizens’ protest: Police accused of high-handed raid

BAHAWALPUR: Several residents of Basti Gul Sher near Rahim Yar Khan protested against the police on Thursday over the death of a child who died in a house raid on Wednesday night. They gathered outside the DPO’s office and placed the body of the deceased at the entrance. They then chanted slogans against police and demanded action against those responsible for the child’s death. They said some policemen from Zahirpir police station had raided the houses of Sultan Ahmad, Azeem Bakhsh and Rasheed Ahmad to apprehend some gamblers around 3 am. They said the policemen arrested Azeem Baksh, Allah Ditta, Saeed Ahmad, Khan Muhammad, Imam Din and others. They said during the raid, the policemen had beaten some women in the house. They said hearing their screams, six-year-old Tayyab panicked and died of fear. He said the police had created a lot of commotion and had woken up the child while he was aleep. Investigation SP Tariq Elahi told newsmen that an inquiry had been launched against the Zahirpir police over the incident. He said action would be taken if any police official was found to be involved in the child’s death.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd, 2015.