LAHORE: A constable was allegedly killed and another injured when a speeding car ploughed into a police picket in Defence on Sunday night.

The policemen were deputed there to maintain law and order on the eve of New Year’s celebrations.

Of them, Mustansar Husain succumbed to his injures while being taken to hospital while Qasim was stated to be critical at Lahore General Hospital.

A CCTV installed at the Khayaban Road captured the crime scene that showed the constables were run over by the car.

Police seem ‘reluctant’ to reveal identity of car driver

The footage showed that it was driven rashly in a zigzag way swerving from behind other cars before hitting the picket and the policemen.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), Mustansar Husain and Qasim had signalled the car to stop.

The police version even after 24 hours of the incident triggered controversy about the identity of the car rider.

The police officials were reluctant to share details as to who was driving the car and what was his family background.

However, there were multiple reports that young owner of the car, Mustafa, was son of an ‘influential’ man, Mian Munir, a resident of Model Town.

Some sources in the police said Mian Munir had close links with the ruling PML-N and the police authorities were under pressure to hush up details.

The sources alleged that Mustafa was driving the car at the time of the incident but he fled the scene to avoid arrest.

Later, a source said Mustafa’s family presented their trusted employee, Saeed, to the police saying he was driving the car at that time.

According to the initial police investigation, Mustafa had got learning driving licence in 2015 and it expired the same year. Thereafter, he didn’t get his licence renewed.

“We have arrested Saeed,” Cantonment Division Investigation SP Dr Anoosh Chaudhry told Dawn.

She said it was yet to be established who was driving the car and how many people were accompanying the driver.

She said a police team was sent for arresting Mustafa.

To a question, Dr Anoosh said police were trying to trace the location of the driver and owner of the car through CDR analysis before, during and after the crime scene.

After analysing the calls, police would determine the driver.

The FIR has nominated the suspects for ‘causing death without intention to cause harm’ and ‘causing harm by rash or negligent driving’.

Another source said police authorities were in contact with the family of Mustafa and he was likely to court arrest.

Investigation DIG Chaudhry Sultan dispelled the impression that the police authorities were under any pressure to give favour to the car driver.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2018