PESHAWAR: Students and people belonging to different segments of society on Saturday condemned the killing of a tribal youth, Naqeebullah Mehsud, and urged the government to take pragmatic steps for protection of people from police highhandedness in Karachi.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club, Watan Pal Youth Organisation, a student wing of QWP, provincial organiser Irshad Afridi condemned the killing of Mr Mehsud in an alleged fake encounter by Karachi police and demanded registration of a murder case against SSP Rao Anwar.

Mr Afridi urged the Supreme Court and the government to order formation of a Joint Investigation Team to take the case to its logical conclusion so that no one could dare to take life of an innocent citizen in future.

QWP student wing for registration of murder case against SSP Rao Anwar

He regretted that Pakhtuns were targeted in Sindh and Punjab provinces and considered as terrorists in parts of the country.

He urged the federal government to take practical steps for security of Pakhtuns at least to stop their custodial and extrajudicial killings.

Moreover, he lauded the Supreme Court for taking suo motu notice of the incident.

He demanded that a judicial commission should be formed to probe the incident and said that findings of the case should be made public.

He asked for approval of a compensation package for the heirs of Mr Mehsud as he belonged to a poor family.

Meanwhile, Fata Students Organisation also demanded registration of a murder case against SSP Rao Anwar.

In a statement here on Saturday, FSO president Shaukat Aziz said that the uncertain situation in tribal regions had forced the people to move to other parts of the country in search of jobs and livelihood which did not mean that they were terrorists.

He said that it was duty of the federal government to take effective steps for well-being of the people in their own localities as they had suffered due to dislocation during military operations.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2018