According to the police, two constables were guarding polio vaccinators in the city’s Tamboolak area, when a group of armed men opened fire at them, causing injuries to one of the cops, Habib. The other policeman, however, opened fire in retaliation and killed one of the attackers.
The police claimed the attackers later took shelter in a nearby house. “However, policemen from surrounding areas rushed to the site and cordoned off the house. After a brief encounter, they arrested three persons,” said an official.
The deceased attacker was identified as Shuaib, who was wanted in a number of criminal cases. The arrested persons were identified as Waleed, Khalid and Omair. Jehanzeb, leader of the gang, however, made good his escape. Police said they were carrying out a search operation in the area.
The relatives of the dead man later denied police version, saying the police killed Shuaib in a planned encounter. They also demanded justice from the government.
High-ranking police officers, including District Police Officer Gul Afzal Afridi, were reluctant to make comments on Tuesday’s encounter. Following the incident, they had a long meeting, whose details were not shared with the media.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 20th, 2015.
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