KARACHI: An overspeeding water tanker rammed into a private bank in North Nazimabad due to brake failure on Monday, as a result of which one person died and five others were injured, according to police and rescue services officials.

Area SHO Rashid Ali said that the tanker descended from Kati Pahari when ostensibly its brakes failed. Thereafter it hit several persons before ramming into the bank. Several cars parked there were also damaged in the incident. Six persons were injured who were shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where an unidentified man in his 60s was pronounced as dead while five others namely Meer Saeed, 50, Ibrahim Ali, 40, Hikmat Ameer, 35, Amir Gulzar, 45, and Murtaza, 30, got admitted for treatment. Their condition was stated to be out of danger.

Funeral prayer of martyred police officer held

The police have seized the water tanker while the driver managed to escape from the spot.

The officer said that the deceased was a passerby.

Some of the area residents pointed out that Kati Pahari project was ‘faulty’ owing to which tragic accidents tended to take place there frequently. While talking to media, the residents proposed that speed breakers should be installed at the slope of Kati Pahari to prevent such accidents in future.

Meena Bazaar encounter

Funeral prayer of police head constable Fayaz Ali, 40, who was martyred during an encounter with robbers in Karimabad’s Meena Bazaar on Sunday evening was offered on Monday, which was attended by IGP Sindh, the Karachi police chief and other senior officers.

As relatives claimed that the wounded policeman was not provided proper treatment on time, the police denied these charges.

The police spokesperson said that the martyred officer was on his way to join his duty at Azizabad police station, therefore, he was in civilian dress. When he saw that two robbers were looting a citizen, he came to rescue him. He fought bravely by saving the life of the citizen and killed one suspect whose accomplice injured the policeman while fleeing. Later on, the wounded officer succumbed to injuries during treatment.

He left behind a widow and three children. He joined the police force in 1999.

Both the IGP and the Karachi police chief said that several policemen had sacrificed their lives while fighting terrorists and criminals.

Meanwhile, Central SSP Arif Aslam Rao in a statement said that statements were being circulated that the police did not make timely arrangements for treatment of the wounded head constable. The officer explained that when the encounter took place, Fayaz was not in uniform and he was on his way to join duty. He alone fought with the robbers when he saw that the citizen was being looted. No other police officer was present there. Therefore, the citizens present there took the wounded policeman in a private vehicle to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for treatment. When the police came to know about it, they immediately shifted him to Aga Khan University Hospital where he embraced martyrdom.

Under these circumstances, the charges of not providing proper treatment to the wounded officer were wrong and contrary to facts, believed the Central SSP.

Harassment of polio worker

Gulshan-i-Maymar police on Monday claimed to have arrested one person over charges of harassing a female polio worker in the area.

The police said that the female polio worker got an FIR registered at the police station and nominated five persons in the case. The police immediately took action and arrested one nominated suspect while efforts were under way to arrest others. The suspects were allegedly harassing the worker since the last few days.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2020