RAWALPINDI: Two brothers, who were seriously injured in an alleged ‘encounter’ with the police on Wednesday night, died at the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) on Thursday, sparking unrest among their relatives.

The men’s families protested by placing the bodies of the deceased on Chakri Road and demanded justice.

The police’s efforts to convince the protesters to disperse proved unsuccessful, and they ended up carrying the bodies of the deceased towards Kalma Chowk.

The two brothers, Irfan Asif and Wasim Anwar were taken to the DHQ Hospital on Wednesday after being allegedly shot by the police in what their families claimed was a ‘fake encounter’.

Asif was working with Atomic Energy and Anwar was associated with the Agriculture Development Bank.

At around 11pm, a police party led by RA Bazaar SHO Sajid Mehmood set out to arrest a suspected vehicle thief, Abdul Mannan, a brother of the deceased, who police said was wanted in a criminal case.

Police said that when the team reached the suspect’s residence in Quaid-i-Azam Colony, the suspect opened fire on them. Mr Mehmood was injured as a result, and another shot fired by Mannan’s accomplice hit Constable Shahzaib.

“Wasim Anwarul Haq, another accomplice of the suspect, also fired at me but I escaped by taking a defensive position,” said Sub-Inspector Liaquat Ali, who was also with the raiding party, in the FIR. He said the police retaliated and fired in self-defence.

Police claimed Mr Mannan and his accomplices fired at the police, while women threw stones at them from the rooftop, allowing the main suspect to escape.

The police then arrested another two of Mr Mannan’s brothers and registered a case under section 7 of Anti Terrorism Act.

However, the families of the deceased claimed they were taken by the police during the raid and shot and killed in a fake encounter.

Cantt Deputy Superintendent of Police Raja Taifoor Akhtar was negotiating with the protesters until this report was filed, to convince them to bury the deceased and disperse.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2017