SIALKOT: Four ‘robbers’ were killed what police claimed in firing by their accomplices during a robbery incident here on Thursday morning at Kharotta Syedaan, Sialkot tehsil.

Police said 10 robbers were looting the people at Kharotta Syedaan. The suspects tried to intercept some men who did not stop. On this, some robbers opened fire and bullets [strangely] hit their own accomplices instead of the commoners.

According to the FIR (No. 164/2017) lodged with Kotli Loharaan police station on Aug 24 by landlord Syed Zaheerul Hassan Yousafi under sections 302, 397 and 13/20/65 PPC, the slain robbers were identified as Anwar alias Tidda, Rizwan alias Ganju, Ali alias Goonga and Naveed Masih.

Police shifted the bodies to Government Allama Iqbal Memorial Teaching Hospital, Sialkot, for autopsy.

Police claimed that the [slain] suspects had allegedly murdered a constable two days back.

Another FIR (No. 162/2017) registered with Kotli Loharaan police station on Aug 22 by SI Zafar Iqbal under sections 186, 216, 302, 324, 353 and 395 of PPC, said the [slain] suspects Anwar, Rizwan, Ali and Naveed had shot dead constable Muhammad Zubair (45) and injured two other constables during a raid.

BODY RECOVERED: Police on Thursday recovered an unidentified body from the Ravi near Bara Manga, Shakargarh, on Thursday.

Police said the body might have reached here while floating in the faster flow of recent flood in the Ravi from neighnouring catchment areas in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The body was shifted to civil hospital for autopsy.

BANNERS REMOVED: The Sialkot Municipal Corporation staff on Thursday removed banners, placards and panaflexes of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital illegally displayed at electric poles on Paris Road, Khwaja Safdar Road, Khadim Ali Ross, Kashmir Road, Defence Road, Kutchery Road, Jail Road, Circular Road, Shahabpura Road, Hajipura Road, Airport Road and surrounding areas.

Interestingly, the municipal staff used fire brigade vehicles for the ‘crackdown’ on the illegally displayed banners. The staff said the banners had been fixed without approval from the municipal corporation.

Meanwhile, local Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders Khawaja Arif Ahmed, Umer Dar, Usman Dar and others have condemned the act and alleged that fire brigade vehicles were misused.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2017