LAHORE: Hundreds of locals on Friday vandalised the Alpa police station in Multan to protest the killing of a man and the injuring of another person in an alleged police encounter.

The protesters ransacked the police station and vehicles parked on the premises. As the police station staff fled the scene, a police contingent arrived and controlled the situation.

The police say they were on routine checking when signalled a car to pull over in the Choti Jhok Alpa police area but the riders sped away. The police chased the car and opened fire, leaving riders Faheem and Azam injured while two other riders fled.

The injured were taken to the Nishtar Hospital where Faheem died while Azam was said to be in a critical condition.

Later, the police registered a case against 48 nominated and 200 unidentified people under sections 148, 149, 186, 324, 353, 392 and 427 of the PPC and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

On Friday afternoon, the family and relatives of Faheem and Azam gathered at Ada Bund Bosan and later outside the Multan Press Club and lodged a protest against the police for killing and injuring the people.

Azam’s father Afzal demanded the government take action against the policemen involved in the killing of Faheem and injuring his son. He said his son was not involved in any criminal activity. He also showed the character certificate of his son, issued by the police, which was taken to export mangoes.

He also said the police were making fake cases against his son who was lying on a death bed in the hospital.

City Police Officer Khurrum Shehzad Haider told Dawn the deceased was a proclaimed offender in eight robbery, theft, firing and illegal weapon cases registered in different areas of the city.

He said the police tried to stop the car three times at different check posts but they did not pull over. He said five persons were in the car and three of them fled.

Mr Haider said the police had shifted the injured to hospital where one of the suspects died.

He said the family and relatives of the deceased and injured had attacked and ransacked the police station and strict action would be taken against the people involved in the attack.

He said the suspects who fled the scene would also be declared proclaimed offenders as the area was notorious for robberies and other types of crimes.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2022