The Counter-Terrorism Department officer investigating the killing of 19-year-old Intizar Ahmed in Karachi's DHA, allegedly at the hands of Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) personnel, has termed the incident a "total failure" on the part of the police party involved.

In a statement issued on Thursday, CTD DIG Amir Farooqi, who was assigned the investigation by the inspector general of Sindh police, recommended the formation of a joint investigation team (JIT) to ascertain the individual roles of all police personnel involved in the killing.

On January 14, Intizar was chased down and shot dead allegedly by nine undercover ACLC personnel after he had reportedly failed to stop his car at a picket.

DIG Farooqi pointed out a number of violations of Standard Operating Procedures (SoP) by police personnel, including:

  • Not a single person in the police party present at the scene was in uniform

  • Vehicles used by the ACLC officers were privately owned

  • The stop and holdup of Intizar’s car created suspicion as if they were being kidnapped

  • The whole action was conducted in a haphazard and unprofessional way which resulted in the tragic death of Intizar

In order to satisfy the victim's family over investigation into the teenager's killing, the CTD has recommended formation of a JIT after consulting Intizar's father "to ascertain and verify the role of each individual of police party present at the place of incident and [ACLC's former chief] SSP Muqaddas Haider as well", said the statement.

Intizar's father has been insisting on the involvement of SSP Haider in the killing of his son, and investigators on Wednesday recorded the senior police officer's statement.

In a letter sent to representatives of various intelligence agencies, Sindh Rangers and Karachi police, DIG Farooqi said a JIT constituted to investigate Intizar's murder would meet on January 26 at 11am at the office of SSP Intelligence, CTD Civil Lines.

Intizar was a Malaysia-based student who had returned to Pakistan to spend holidays. He was in his car with a female friend when police in plainclothes had reportedly signalled him to stop. When he had failed to oblige, he was chased and gunned down. However, the friend had managed to escape unscathed.

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