MULTAN, Dec 28: An inquiry commission constituted by the Police Department to investigate the Shadan Lond incident, which claimed four lives, has found the local police guilty of several lapses.

The police had opened fire on Nov 9 at protesters in Shadan Lond village near Indus Highway, killing three people on the spot. Another man had died later at the Dera Ghazi Khan district headquarters hospital.

The crowd, led by students from some local seminaries, had first blocked the highway before dawn and attacked a police bus carrying five religious leaders from Tuansa Sharif to Dera Ghazi Khan. The crowd had deflated the vehicle’s tyres and freed the leaders. Later, the vehicle was torched.

Four hours later, boulders were placed on railway track near Shadan Lond railway station and the Chiltan Express stopped. Three other trains on the Kot Addu section, too, had to be stopped as a result.

Amid rumours that the protesters had kidnapped four police officials, the mob had started pelting stones on the party headed by a DSP. The police were said to have panicked and opened firing which caused four deaths.

More people had then joined the protest. The people dispersed peacefully after Jamal Leghari, the district Nazim, assured them that stern action would be taken against the police officials responsible for the deaths.

Later, the police had registered a case against more than 400 people under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

The people had not cooperated with a police inquiry ordered by the Dera Ghazi Khan range authorities and the district Nazim had repeatedly demanded a judicial probe. Later, the IGP constituted a commission comprising the Multan Range DIG, the Multan SP (Crimes) and the Leiah SP. The villagers did not cooperate with the commission which has completed its investigations based on police record and ‘other sources.’

When contacted, the commission chief refused to reveal the findings, saying, “it is upto the government to make findings of the commission public.” A source, however, said the commission had found some glaring lapses. It had also noted the delay in the arrival of the district police chief and the rapid reaction contingent.

A commission member, preferring anonymity, revealed that action had been recommended against the negligent police officials. “It was not the mandate of the commission,” he said, when asked whether the registration of a case against the officials had also been recommended.

The residents of Shadan Lond have been protesting every Friday since the incident to press for the registration of a murder case against the officials.