RAWALPINDI: Hundreds of protesters blocked Adiala Road after a 20-year-old man was hit and killed by a recklessly-driven prison van of Islamabad police on Thursday morning.

“We want the accused driver arrested and a case registered against him,” the angry protesters shouted at the police officers who tried to disperse them and restore traffic.

Ali bin Wali, 20, the only son of Qari Waliur Rehman, was killed when the police van carrying prisoners to the district courts Islamabad knocked him down and sped away.

“We called Rescue 1122 but the victim died on the spot,” local resident Raja Safeer told Dawn. Qari Rehman, who works as the in-charge of the religious education department at the Adiala jail, told Dawn that his son was going to Islamabad to collect his driving licence as he was set to leave for Dubai to earn livelihood within a couple of days.

Soon after the incident, hundreds of local residents gathered on the road and blocked it till after sunset. Senior police officers along with reinforcement reached the spot and asked the protesters to disperse as they were carrying out an investigation.

“The police driver involved in the fatal accident has been identified and the officials of Islamabad police concerned have been asked to hand him over to the Rawalpindi police,” Inspector Yar Mohammad of the Saddar Barooni police told Dawn.

The protesters dispersed after they were assured that the accused would be arrested soon. Later, a large number of people attended the funeral of the victim.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2015

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