SUKKUR: The Jacobabad police killed a suspect and critically injured his companion near Beghari Canal in what they claimed to be an “encounter’ with five criminals” on Friday.
The deceased was identified as Haidar Ali and the injured as his cousin, Mohammad Bachal.
The victims’ families along with a large number of their community members held protest against the police claiming that they took the action at the behest of their rivals in an ongoing dispute.
Earlier, a team from the Baqa Mohammad police station claimed that they engaged a gang of five suspected criminals in an encounter along the canal.
One of the suspects was killed, another one injured and their three companions managed to escape, they said.
The victims’ families were informed about the encounter after which a large number of people belonging to the Rawahi-Buledi community came to the Jacobabad Civil Hospital, where a postmortem of the body was being performed and the injured victim was under treatment.
After receiving the body, the protesting community members took it to the local press club and held a demonstration outside.
Speaking to reporters, they alleged that the police were already favouring their rivals in the long running dispute.
“They killed Haider Ali in cold blood and injured Bachal at the behest of their rivals in a staged encounter,” they condemned.
They said that the victims were on their way to Dodapur town when the police team waylaid them.
Haider Ali’s brothers Ali Nawaz and Mohammad Qasim said that their rivals were led by Mohammad Liaquat and Ranjhan, belonging to the same community. They demanded their arrest and also action against the police team.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Bachal was referred to a major hospital in Larkana due to his critical condition.
An FIR of the alleged encounter vide crime No. 17/2026 was registered at the Baqa Mohammad police station on behalf of the state on the complaint of a policeman, Naseeruddin Kalhoro, against Haidar Ali, Bachal and their three unknown associates.
Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2026