SAHIWAL/BAHAWALNAGAR: The police are looking into the killing of a youth in an encounter with the Dal Waryam (Pakpattan) police.

Sharfan Bibi, of Chak 84/D, Pakpattan, with her family members told Dawn that on March 28 their opponents, against whom they had civil and criminal cases ongoing, conspired with the Dal Waryam police. They with the help of police officials kidnapped her disabled son, Shafqat, and killed him in Chak 96/D. There, the family said, they tortured him and later shot him.

After the murder, the police lodged a first information report at Dal Waryam police station against unidentified people on March 29.

The Dalwaryam police registered two FIRs - 79/20201 and 80/2021. The first dacoity FIR was registered against Shafqat for snatching a motorcycle near village 101/D and the second murder FIR under section 395 of the Pakistan Penal Code was registered on the complaint of Sarwar Akram, SI, Dalwaryam police. This FIR says Shafqat was killed in an encounter while his five accomplices escaped.

She said that to hide their crime, the police said in the FIR that Shafqat was a robber and he was killed during a police encounter by the firing of his own accomplices during a bid to escape. She said that her son’s right arm and leg were fractured and he could not even walk without crutches for years.

Woman says her disabled son was killed by police with connivance of rivals

She said that torture was also proved in the postmortem report.

She said she approached the Pakpattan DPO and the Sahiwal RPO for justice but to no avail.

She said that instead of giving in, she approached the court but despite the orders of the Pakpattan additional sessions judge, when the Pakpattan police did not take any action, she approached the Lahore High Court.

LHC Judge Muhammad Amjad Rafiq on June 8 directed the Pakpattan DPO to hold a personal hearing of the petitioner as well as take action against the involved police officials.

The family demanded that the IGP appoint an honest police officer to probe the case.

Pakpattan DPO Malik Jameel Zafar said that DSP Tasadduq Hussain held a personal hearing of Sharifan Bibi at his office and that family’s statement would also be made part of the investigation report as per the direction of the LHC.

The LHC also directed the additional sessions court judge to issue directions for record of statements of the petitioner. Sharfan Bibi told Dawn said she was waiting for the police call to register her version into the fake encounter.

Pakpattan District Police Officer Jameel Zafar told Dawn deceased Shafqat had some criminal record. He said police were bound to obey the LHC direction. He said Sharfan was called by his investigation SP but they refused to meet them without their lawyer.

The DPO added that as per the wishes of the family, the investigation would also be changed. He said the deceased had criminal record as well.

He said that earlier, SP Abdul Qayyum was looking into the matter on the directions of the sessions court. However, he said, the complainant filed a writ in the LHC before the inquiry was completed. The DPO said that all the grievances of the affected family would be resolved and inquiry would be held on merit.

Published in Dawn, EOS, June 16th, 2021