KARACHI: A minor boy died allegedly during an anti-encroachment operation being carried out in Sohrab Goth to clear the way for extension and service road of Superhighway (now M-9) on Friday, which prompted the relatives and area people to block the highway in protest while carrying the coffin of the deceased.

Scuffles also broke out between protesters and the police as one motorbike of the police was set on fire.

Malir SSP Irfan Bahadur told Dawn that Karachi Metro­politan Corporation, backed by law enforcers, had started an anti-encroachment drive to clear the way for construction of extension of M-9 and its service road since last three days in Sohrab Goth, particularly in Ganna Mandi area.

On Friday, as they destroyed around three or four walls of illegal houses, the residents claimed that one five-year-old boy identified as Jan Mohammed died when debris fell on him.

The senior officer quoting both the KMC and the assistant commissioner of the area said that they only destroyed a few walls, not the homes, and no such incident took place there during the anti-encroachment drive.

However, the area people claimed that the boy died during the anti-encroachment drive.

Carrying coffin of the victim, the people staged a sit-in on Superhighway near Sohrab Goth, resultantly the traffic was adversely affected on the highway for around half an hour, said Malir SSP Mr Bahadur.

The protesters also set a motorbike of the police on fire, which was partially damaged.

The district administration and the police held talks with the protesters and warned them to vacate the highway, otherwise they would be compelled to take legal action since protests or sit-ins were not allowed on highways and major roads.

The authorities promised the protesters that legal action would be taken if it transpired that the boy had died during the anti-encroachment drive.

The Malir SSP added that the inquiry was being conducted to ascertain veracity of the claims of the relatives about the boy’s death.

If it was proved that the boy had died during anti-encroachment drive, then further legal action would be taken.

Mr Bahadur said that the case would also be registered against the protesters over charges of riots.

The incident forced the authorities to suspend the anti-encroachment drive.

Man falls to death

A young man died when he fell from a multistorey building in the Tower area on Friday.

An Edhi Foundation spokesperson said that an unidentified man around 25 to 30 years of age fell down from the 9th floor of 12-storey Jilani Centre located on main road near Tower. The body was taken to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi to fulfil legal formalities.

Eight held over man’s murder

The Pakistan Rangers, Sindh on Friday claimed to have arrested eight suspects from Karachi and Khairpur for allegedly carrying out brutal torture on a young man hailing from Gilgit in Lines Area two days ago and killing him, said a spokesperson for the paramilitary force.

Mohammed Ali’s body was found from a room in Lines Area on April 10.

He was brutally tortured and later on bullets were fired on his face and head.

The paramilitary force set up a special team, which after ascertaining the reasons behind the murder apprehended three alleged facilitators namely Basharat, Afraz Gul and Ghufran from the city.

During initial probe, the held suspect, Ghufran revealed that five “real” suspects involved in the murder had left the city and were on their way to Gilgit in a car.

The Rangers with technical help and utilising intelligence sources detained five suspects namely Waqas Husain, Zeeshan Haider, Mohammed Saleem, Sohail Ahmed and Shabbar Hasan from Khairpur.

The held suspects during initial investigation admitted that they killed Mohammed Ali over “some personal enmity”.

The paramilitary force claimed to have seized the weapon used in the murder from their possession. Later on, they were handed over to the police concerned for further legal action.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2019