THATTA: Activists of political parties, nationalist groups and sympathisers of an alleged victim of ‘staged’ encounter held a demonstration outside local press club on Sunday to register protest against what they described as extrajudicial murder of Rafique Khaskheli by Thatta police earlier this week.

The protesters deplored that police were victimising local citizens through ‘staged’ encounters and claimed that Khaskheli was shot dead at the behest of an influential person.

He was first promoted as a dangerous criminal and then targeted in a fake encounter, they said.

Yasir Jakhro of Qaumi Awami Tehreek said that Thatta police were clearly trampling upon the rights of citizens laid down in the Constitution as they had taken the law into their own hands.

“As per law, police have to produce a suspect in court but Thatta police have been punishing suspects on their own,” they said.

Khaskheli’s brothers said that despite the fact that he had no criminal record, he was treated as a ‘notorious criminal’.

They demanded a transparent and impartial probe into the episode.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2024

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