SANGHAR: SSP Zeeshan Shafique was removed following a series of protests against his alleged involvement in an encounter that had left two suspects dead. The victims’ families and protesters had kept insisting that the suspects were arrested in a kidnapping for ransom case and were shot dead on May 20 in a fake encounter at the behest of the SSP.

The SSP was removed on the eve of Eidul Fitr after a series of demonstrations held in Khipro and Sindhri by the families, relatives and activists of various civil society organisations.

The suspects, Ali Hyder Roonjho and Soomar Mahar, were shot dead by police, who later declared them robbers and claimed that they were killed in a police encounter. They also claimed that they were involved in the kidnapping of a Khipro-based trader, Gulab Rai.

SHOs of several police stations have also been removed to facilitate an inquiry into the whole affair.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2020