KARACHI, Aug 9: In a dramatic turn of events, the head of the Lyari Task Force, SP Aslam Khan, was arrested on Wednesday after his suspension on Monday night.
The arrest orders were issued by the provincial police chief as Supreme Court, while hearing a case in Islamabad, ordered his immediate production.
Earlier, the SC took sou motu notice of reports that the police had killed an innocent man in an ‘encounter’ and claimed that he was a wanted dacoit, Mashooq Brohi.
Four other officials of the Lyari Task Force were also arrested by DSP Investigation Korangi Ramzan Gopan on the orders of SSP Investigation Niaz Khoso who has assigned the case by the PPO.
The arrested policemen included SHO of Bagdadi Nasirul Hasan, Inspector Asif Qureshi, Sub Inspector Abdul Ghani and Mir Faroosh.
Confirming the arrest of Aslam Khan, Sindh police chief Jehangir Mirza told Dawn that the chief of Lyari Task Force (Aslam Khan) has been placed under arrest.
“On Wednesday, we reported the arrest of four other policemen of the LTF to the honorable court.” The policemen were arrested on Tuesday, Mr Mirza said.
SP Aslam Khan would be produced before the court on Thursday, the PPO added.
Replying to a query concerning the status of the Lyari Task Force, Mr Mirza said this unit would not be disbanded as there was a need for such a police unit in Lyari, but we would replace this force with good police officers, Mr Mirza said.
Earlier on July 12, at a crowded press conference, the police claimed killing of notorious dacoit Mashooq Brohi in an ‘encounter’ in the outskirts of the city in Gadap.
Praising the police performance, Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui had announced an additional one million rupees reward and one-step promotion for the low ranking officials who took part in the operation.
However, later it transpired that police party had staged the encounter and in fact one Rasool Bux Brohi was killed. Subsequently, the PPO Sindh ordered an inquiry.
An FIR 101/2006 was registered at the Sakran police station against over 15 officials of the Lyari Task Force, including two inspectors of the Anti-car Liftin Cell , who also took part in the staged encounter, on the complaint of brother of the Rasool Bux Borhi.
Names of all the police officers were nominated in the FIR lodged by victim’s family at Sakran.
Sources said in fact Rasool Bux Brohi was arrested with his two friends when he was coming to Hyderabad from Sakran by bus.
He was kept in police custody and later on July 12 an ‘encounter’ was staged by the police.
Police later tried to cover up the case with the theory of mistaken identity and attributed it to gross misinformation of police informer on which they were heavily replying.
Sources said SP Aslam Khan had gone to Sakran and according to reports had managed to seek forgiveness from victim’s family after paying the blood money.
