QUETTA: One person was killed in alleged police firing during distribution of relief goods by an NGO in the cattle farm area of Jafferabad district on Thursday, a police official and family members have said.

According to reports, hundreds of people had gathered after a foreign NGO announced to distribute relief goods, including tents, food and other items among the flood victims.

When the officials started distributing relief goods, people began pushing and snatched relief goods which resulted in a stampede.

Amid the ruckus, the police baton-charged the flood victims to disperse the crowd.

According to sources, during the effort to clear the area, the police opened fire which hit a flood victim who got seriously injured.

He was being shifted to Dera Allahyar district hospital but he succumbed to his injuries before reaching the hospital.

The deceased was identified as 24-year-old Norez Ahmed Mastoi from cattle farm area.

The family has alleged that a policeman opened direct fire on the orders of cattle farm police station SHO.

Jafferabad Senior Superin-tendent Police, Jawad Tariq, while confirming the casualty, said an FIR has been registered against police officials upon the heirs’ complaint.

“The firing happened when the police were dispersing the mob gathered at the site to protect NGO officials,” he told Dawn over phone.

SSP Tariq assured that the investigation will be conducted as per the family’s wishes and any official(s) found guilty will face departmental inquiry and legal action.

After the firing, the victim’s relatives and locals blocked DeraAllahyar-Usta Muhammad road as protest, suspending all kind of traffic.

Addressing the rally, a close relative of the victim said the bullet had directly hit Mastoi which proved to be fatal.

Protesters raised slogans against the police and local administration and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.

The protesters dispersed peacefully after senior police officers and district administration officials reached the site and assured them of action against the official involved in the killing.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2022