KARACHI: Inspector General of Police Sindh A.D. Khowaja has ordered an inquiry against Malir SSP Rao Anwar Ahmed Khan over the incident in which 27 protesters got injured during a sit-in on Nov 25 at the Stargate area in Malir district.

Reportedly, police used force to disperse the activists of religious parties who had gathered at Stargate as part of their countrywide protest against the Faizabad crackdown.

The enquiry will be conducted by the Karachi police chief personally.

An order issued by Tanveer Odho, AIGP Operation said: “Mushtaq Ahmed Mahar, Additional IGP Karachi is hereby nominated as enquiry officer to conduct an enquiry into the incident of firing as a result of which 27 protesters got injured at Stargate, district Malir on Nov 25”.

“The Additional IGP Karachi shall conduct the enquiry himself and shall not assign it to anyone else,” added the notification.

The enquiry officer had been directed to submit his findings by Dec 11.

However, Rao Anwar on Thursday applied for 14-day leave for “urgent work”.

The IGP granted 14 days “casual leave” to SSP Malir — from Nov 30 till Dec 13 — said another notification issued by the AIGP Establishment, Naeem Ahmed Shaikh.

SP Landhi Mohammad Arif Aslam will look after the work of SSP Malir in his absence in addition to his own duty, the order said.

Meanwhile, Rao Anwar talking to Dawn on Thursday “justified” the police action saying that he himself was present at the sit-in where protesters where allegedly throwing stones on the vehicles resulting in the suspension of traffic on the main artery which connects the city with the Jinnah International Airport.

He said that had police not taken action to get Sharea Faisal vacated, Karachi would have been blocked as the city’s land link with the rest of the country was already closed because of the sit-ins at the Super Highway and the National Highway.

Rao Anwar further claimed that the police were compelled to take action as “miscreants of a political party” joined the protesters and attacked police with Kalashnikov, 9mm pistol and 30-bore pistol, resulting in injuries to SHO Memon Goth Gulzar Tunio and Constable Sabir.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2017