KARACHI: The Station House Officer (SHO) of Shah Faisal Colony was placed under suspension on Thursday over aerial firing by his son within the police station.

The action against SHO Waseem Ahmed Siddiqui was taken by the higher police authorities after a video of the firing went viral on social media.

An FIR under Section 337(H) (i) and (ii) (punishment for hurt by rash or negligent act) against the SHO’s son, Farjad Siddiqi, was lodged by a police officer, Syed Ibrar Husain, on behalf of the state. Farjad, however, went underground to escape arrest.

In a statement, Korangi SSP Hasan Sardar Niazi said that no one could be allowed to take the law into his own hands. He said the SHO’s son carried out aerial firing inside the Shah Faisal Colony police station and the video of his act had gone viral on social media.

“The SHO Shah Faisal Colony [Waseem Ahmed Siddiqi] has been suspended,” according to the statement. A thorough probe was carried out about the firing incident and it was confirmed that it was the SHO’s son who conducted the aerial firing.

An FIR has been registered against the suspect and a probe was under way to establish whether the weapon used in the firing was an official or private one, said SSP Niazi, adding that law was equal for both government officials and private citizens.

According to the contents of the FIR, it transpired that Farjad Siddiqi had committed the act of firing, which might have caused loss of human life.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2023