LAKKI MARWAT: The killing of a man in an alleged police encounter sparked protest in the city as a large number of people placed the body on Bannu-Mianwali road and closed it to all kinds of vehicular traffic.

On Monday night, relatives of the deceased identified as Saleem along with other villagers collected the body from Government City Hospital and staged a sit-in at Qazi Ishfaq Chowk.

Some protesters broke the flower pots fixed by the tehsil municipal administration at the median of the busy road as part of beautification measures.

The protesters chanted slogans against police and government. They threatened to continue their protest till acceptance of demands.

Locals demand suspension of SHO and judicial probe into incident

According to FIR, Saleem was killed in exchange of fire with a police party in Begukhel area on Monday evening. Lakki Marwat police station SHO Damsaz Khan is complainant in the FIR.

Police claimed that the deceased opened fire on a patrol party in Begukhel area when he was asked to stop. They said that policemen returned the fire in self defence.

Police said that head constable Kifayatullah was injured and their patrolling vehicle was damaged in the firing. “When firing stopped, police found the body of the suspect identified as Saleem and seized an assault rifle, magazines and bullets from the place,” they claimed.

They said that the deceased had a criminal record with at least four cases of drug trafficking registered against him at Lakki Marwat police station.

After failure of talks between government officials and local elders, the protesters spent the night on the road. On Tuesday, they forced the traders to close their outlets and join them in the protest.

They also offered the funeral prayers of the deceased on the road. The closure of the main artery, urban roads and thoroughfare troubled people.

MNA Maulana Mohammad Anwar, MPA Munawar Khan, head of Marwat Qaumi Jirga Haji Mohammad Aslam Khan, Shafiullah Khan Begukhel, Advocate Waheed Aslam Khan, former district nazim Ishfaq Meenakhel, Advocate Fareedullah Khan and Hidayatullah Khan, Engineer Amir Nawaz and leaders of political and religious parties also attended the protest.

Speaking on the occasion, Shafiullah alleged that police killed the innocent citizen in a fake encounter. He said that the deceased was not wanted by police in any case.

He said that he would take the protesters to Peshawar to record their agitation there if their genuine demands were not met.

Waheed Aslam Khan said on the occasion that the deceased was unarmed but police showed recovery of an assault rifle, magazines and bullets from him in the FIR.

The protesters demanded suspension of SHO Damsaz Khan and a judicial probe into the incident.

The protesters reopened the road and took the body to the village for burial after a government team comprising DPO Ziauddin Ahmed, Additional Deputy Commissioner Tariqullah and Assistant Commissioner Tariq Mehmood held successful talks with members of Marwat Qaumi Jirga and other elders.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2022