KARACHI: The performance of Karachi police and their claims came under serious question on Tuesday when it turned out that the Monday night’s ‘encounter’ in Orangi Town in which a ‘suspect’ was gunned down was actually a ‘fake’ shootout.

A teenage son of a local leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf was killed in the shootout resulting in registration of a case against a police officer and his ‘private’ aide and suspension of the area SHO.

The 18-year-old boy, Arsalan Mehsud, was shot dead on Monday night in Orangi Town No 5.

The police later claimed that he was an armed bandit, who was chased and killed by a patrolling party of the Orangi Town police while he was running away after committing a street crime with his aide who also got wounded, but managed to run away.

The details were unveiled when the injured friend of the victim shared his version of the incident with the family that resulted a strong reaction from area people and PTI workers.

Opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh visited the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital in the early hours where the body of Arsalan was brought for an autopsy.

He said that the city police had become a threat for the people of the metropolis. He also slammed the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party for “recruitment in police against bribes”.

He requested the Sindh governor to take notice of the incident.

Amid a strong protest, the police lodged an FIR and arrested the policeman, identified as Tauheed, who shot Arsalan. Later, it emerged that the policeman was in plain clothes and was accompanied by a friend, named Umair.

“The uncle of the deceased filed a written application, which has been turned into an FIR,” said an official. “It blames Tauheed and Umair for trying to snatch the motorbike from Arsalan and his friend. On their resistance they fired shots which killed Arsalan and left his friend wounded. Both the suspects have been arrested and a case has also been registered against them.”

The police said that the FIR was lodged under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997.

Meanwhile, DIG-West Nasir Aftab while taking notice of the incident ordered suspension of the area SHO and set up an investigation committee headed by SSP-Central to probe into the incident. Other members of the team are the SP Investigation West and the SP-Gulberg.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2021