KARACHI: Family and relatives of a man, killed during an alleged encounter by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) a day earlier, gathered outside the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday to protest what they called his “extrajudicial killing” in a “fake” encounter.

A large number of residents of Old Golimar, including women and children, staged a sit-in outside the KPC, demanding justice for Hamdan, one of the four killed suspects during a raid by the CTD in Shah Latif Town.

The deceased’s father, Mohammed Ali, said that his son was allegedly picked up by the CTD on December 29, 2025 and he had also filed a petition before the Sindh High Court against his enforced disappearance.

He said that the CTD had announced in a press conference on Jan 6, 2026 the arrest of his son and others.

He said that his son was a student who had no affiliation with any terror group.

The father said that his son was supposed to be presented before a court on Wednesday after the completion of his physical remand. However, the family was informed that he had been killed in an alleged encounter.

He alleged that the CTD was not even handing over the body and was demanding that he sign a form admitting that his son was a “terrorist”.

Meanwhile, the CTD maintained that all the killed suspects were affiliated with the Bashir Zeb-led group of Fitnatul Hindustan (a term used by the state for Balochistan-based terrorist groups).

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2026