THATTA/HYDERABAD: Two trigger happy CIA officials have been suspended for causing panic and fear in localities around their centre in Thatta by resorting to heavy firing.

They were celebrating grant of bail to their immediate boss in a case pertaining to the manhandling of Mirpur Sakro taluka chairman and a journalist in custody in the last week of April.

As soon as a Thatta court granted bail to the in-charge of the local CIA Centre, Mumtaz Brohi, his colleagues at the centre resorted to heavy celebratory firing which had caused a great deal of panic and fear among residents of the nearby localities.

Several videos of the celebration were posted on social media platforms which went viral and people started condemning the CIA men.

Officials were rejoicing grant of bail to their in-charge in custodial torture case

Taking notice of the matter, Thatta SSP Dr Imran Khan took action against a couple of the errant CIA men after identifying them with the help of the videos.

The SSP suspened Inspector Momin Shaikh and his colleague Mukhtiar Kalhoro and instituted an inquiry against them.

The videos showed them using their official weapons for the celebration while sweets were being distributed among a large group of police and CIA personnel at the CIA Centre.

Mumtaz Brohi, said to be well-connected in political quarters, was accused of subjecting Mirpur Sakro taluka chairman Iqbal Ahmed Khaskheli and a journalist, Yousuf Shaheen, at the centre after arresting them on April 26 on the charges of attacking a police station.

On May 5, Judicial Magistrate-I of Thatta Mohammad Waqas Afzal in his order mentioned that Khaskheli and Shaheen had moved an application seeking an inquiry under the supervision of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) into the alleged torture on them during police remand.

The judge ordered the FIA to investigate the case under NCHR supervision. Khaskheli was called by police and booked in three cases in row this year, besides other cases filed in 2008, 2011, 2017 and 2024. He told FIA that he was tortured by Mumtaz Brohi and two SHOs. According to Khaskheli, he was arrested along with the journalist on April 26 when they were called for criminal record office (CRO) verification. He said he had attended lawyers’ sit-in in Babarloi, Khairpur, where he had delivered a speech. He alleged that he was beaten black and blue in custody by SHOs of Makli and Mirpur Sakro police stations, besides Inspector Mumtaz Brohi.

Subsequently, the FIA arrested Brohi in line with the court order when he arrived at the FIA office for having his statement recorded following a series of notices. He had failed to appear before FIA investigating officer (IO) Zubair Yusufani in response to two previous notices.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2025