FAISALABAD: Following the recent killing of a man by the Punjab Highway Patrol (PHP) police, the head of PHP Faisalabad region was removed from his position.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Farooq Hundal has been asked by the Punjab inspector general of police (IGP) to report to the Central Police Office, Lahore. A notification in this regard has been issued on Wednesday.

Sources said that PHP employees had complained to senior officers that the SP had been pressing them to seizeweapons and narcotics from motorists, come what may. They said the police record could reveal that the PHP had got several cases registered with various police stations regarding seizing scores of weapons, including Kalashnikovs, and drugs from main roads.

They said motorist Waqas Ahmed had also been killed because of this pressure, as the PHP personnel had chased his vehicle only to gain the confidence and appreciation of the SP. Initially, the PHP officials and the district police had appreciated Ahmed’s killing in the ‘encounter’, calling him a robber, and shouted slogans of “Punjab policezindabad” on the spot.

However, the sources said, the officials soon changed their attitude and blasted the PHP men when they found out they had killed an innocent man, who also turned out to be a cousin of a police inspector. They said SP Hundal also reached the crime scene and started abusing his subordinates.

On Jan 20, a PHP team, led by Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Shahid Manzoor, had signalled a car to stop near Checha Stop on Samundri Road, however, the four occupants sped away towards Chak 258-RB, Pharala. While chasing the vehicle, the police team opened fire on it and a bullet hit Ahmed, who was driving.

The PHP officials said Ahmed died on the way to the Dijkot Rural Health Centre. The remaining three car occupants, including Hassan Ali of Khiddarwala, Zahid Mehmood of Chak 92-JB and Majid Sattar of Chak 258-RB, had been handed over to the Dijkot police.

The policemen suspected of killing Ahmed, including ASI Manzoor, Ghulam Dastgir, Usman Hameed and Mohsin Suffyan, were on physical remand with the Dijkot police after a murder case was registered against them including Section 7 of the ATA.

City Police Officer Sohail Chaudhry said an investigation into the case was under way and he was monitoring the probe regularly, and a five-member team had also been formed to look into the issue.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2021