LAKKI MARWAT: The killing of a villager in what relatives said a fake police encounter sparked a protest in Ghaznikhel town here on Wednesday as residents blocked the Peshawar-Karachi highway for vehicular traffic.

The deceased was identified as Zainul Abedeen, a resident of Jabukhel area.

Ghaznikhel police station SHO Abdul Samad Quraishi claimed a police party led by him arrested two suspects, Zainul Aabideen, and Zaheer Khan, during patrolling in Jabukhel area.

“When the arrested men were being taken to the police station for verification purposes, proclaimed offenders Ihsanullah, Imdadullah, Razaullah, Kalimullah, Irfanullah and Zahidullah attacked the police van,” he said.

He claimed policemen along with the arrested suspects abandoned the vehicle and were taking positions when a bullet fired by the attackers hit Zain in his head.

The SHO said the attackers were wanted by the police in murder, attempted murder and narcotics cases.

The injured was shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital, Tajazai, wherefrom he was referred to a hospital in Bannu in critical condition. But he succumbed to injuries on the way.

However, the relatives accused the police of killing Zain in a fake encounter.

They said the deceased served in FC and had come to the village on leave.

Despite rain, the villagers and activists of Mutahidda Qaumi Committee and Marwat Bitanni Tehreek took the body to Ghaznikhel bus stand, where they blocked the highway.

Some baton-wielding protesters also damaged road signboards.

The protesters claimed the deceased was not wanted by the police in any case. They said the police arrested him outside his house and killed him in Ghaznikhel.

They demanded a judicial probe into the killing and registration of FIR against the Ghaznikhel SHO.

Later, the police registered a case in the daily diary against the SHO on the complaint of the deceased’s brother, Amir Hamza.

The complainant said SHO Quraishi arrested his brother, Zain, and Zaheer in Jabukhel and took them away in an official vehicle.

He claimed he chased the police party on a motorcycle and also witnessed his brother’s injury when SHO Quraishi opened fire at him.

He claimed the police left his brother in injured condition, and he called Rescue 1122 to shift him to hospital.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2024