OKARA: A hotel owner allegedly was taken away and later killed by four policemen. According to the FIR, the incident occurred after the ‘Sehri’ timings on Sunday, when hotel owner Khalid, along with other staff, was sitting at the Quetta-Peshawar Hotel at Okara bypass when Sadar police officials - ASI Shaukat and constables Shakoor, Waseem, and Naeem - arrived at the counter and asked the hotel manager why they had not given money to the police. In response, Khalid said that they keep the hotel closed during the day, so they cannot afford bribes to the police. In reaction to this, ASI Shaukat along with the constables allegedly beat Khalid and forcibly put him into the police van, driving away from the hotel.

Just 15 to 20 minutes later, the same police van returned to the hotel, and fled after throwing him on the ground, apparently dead. The staff called emergency police. On the report of hotel manager Ali Raza Khan, the Sadar police registered a case under sections 302 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code. District Police Officer Mansoor Aman arrived at the scene and met with hotel staffers. All four police personnel have been arrested and suspended accordingly.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2024