KARACHI, May 19: The police’s high-handedness on Friday morning resulted in the death of a coach driver in Shershah. Transport workers then blocked the main University Road by transport workers to protest against the police action.

According to details, a police party of the Shershah police station intercepted Al Hashmi coach (JB-4333) in the jurisdiction of SITE Town. The coach was returning from Quetta after a long night drive.

The policemen demanded extortion money from the driver, Obaidullah Shah, who argued that he was a religious man and didn’t indulge in illegal activities, said Juma Khan, Chairman of the Sindh-Balochistan Air condition Bus service.

“On his arguments, policemen started beating the driver with weapon butts that caused his instant death. The police party then fled from the scene,” Juma Khan said.

Following the incident, the transport workers took the deceased Obaidullah Shah’s body to Old Sabzi Mandi in Gulshan Town while also blocking the main University Road that caused a traffic jam, which lasted for over two hours.

Juma Khan said that on their protest, the TPO Gulshan intervened while the DIG Operations also tried to persuade them to end their protest.

However, the protestors demanded removal of the TPO Keamari Town and action against the involved police party.

On this assurance, they ended their blockade of the University Road.

On Friday evening, an FIR 199/06 under sections 302/34 was registered at the Site police station on the complaint of Juma Khan, who nominated ASI Sabir, Head Constable Nadeem Akber, and constables Sohail Dad, Shamsher Khan, Naubahar Shah and Mukhtar Ahmed.However none of the nominated policemen have been arrested so far.

The Hub River road linking Karachi to Balochistan was also blocked by the transporters for a short time.The two-hour blockade of the University Road resulted in a severe traffic mess at the Hassan Square where developmental work is in progress.