January 02, 2009	Friday	Muharram 04, 1430

KARACHI, Jan 1: A departmental inquiry has been initiated into an alleged police encounter in which a man was killed in Defence Housing Authority’s Tauheed Commercial area late on Wednesday night.

Police said Constable Mohammad Qasim was on duty at Tauheed Commercial and, according to his version, he tried to stop a suspicious-looking car, but one of the three occupants of the car opened fire on him.

The police constable claimed that he returned fire and wounded the victim while another bullet hit a tyre.

Police said that two of the occupants fled while a third died on the spot. He was later identified as Habibullah Niazi, resident of Keamari.

The police constable claimed the recovery of two pistols and liquor from the car. An FIR was also registered on the complaint of the constable.

However, after conflicting reports came to light, DIG (South) A.D. Khwaja entrusted Keamari SP Saquib Ismail Memon with the task of inquiring into the matter.

Clifton SP Azad Khan told Dawn that conflicting accounts of area people created suspicion following which a departmental inquiry was ordered. The victim, Habibullah Niazi, had no criminal record, the SP added.