KARACHI: The deputy superintendent of police (DSP) of the Anti-Vehicles Lifting Cell (AVLC) was arrested after registration of a case against his team on Thursday following a firing incident in which a motorcycle rider was killed and his companion wounded at Manghopir Naka on Tuesday night.

Hashim Sikander Magsi,30, died and his companion, Shahzad, was wounded when a member of the AVLC team, purportedly riding the DSP’s mobile van, opened fire on the motorcycle.

The AVLC team claimed that its riders ignored their signal to stop upon which a member of the team opened fire. It was, however, guessed that the bike-riders could not see the mobile van and the personnel due to darkness.

The Manghopir police had initially registered a murder case against some unknown policemen but later found that the AVLC team was involved in the incident. West-SSP Faisal Bashir Memon told the media that accordingly AVLC DSP Qamar was booked and arrested.

He said the DSP’s mobile van was used in the episode. The official SMG rifle with which the shots were fired was seized for investigation.

SSP Memon said that ASI Mukhtiar Pathan, who had fired the shots, and two/three of his colleagues accompanying him had gone underground to escape arrest. Raids were being conducted to apprehend them, he added.

Sources in police said that the checking on the road was being conducted by the AVLC police team led by DSP Qamar, who was posted in district Central but he was holding the charge of district West as well.

Besides initiating criminal proceedings, departmental proceedings would also be initiated against the AVLC team, they said.

Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon has set up a committee led by CIA DIG Sharjil Kharal to ascertain facts leading to the incident.

According to DIG Kharal, the main suspect, ASI Mukhtiar Pathan, was still at large. He clarified that DSP Qamar was detained because his team was involved in the firing but he was not directly involved in it as he had a supervisory role only.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2023