TAXILA: Protesters blocked G.T. Road near Cadet College Chowk for hours against the killing of a man in an “encounter” in the limits of Hassanabdal police station on Saturday.

The protesters from Ghreeshen village put the body of Qaisar Khan, 18, in the middle of the busy road and blocked traffic. They alleged that police officials picked the youth from his house and kept him in illegal detention for six days and tortured him to death. They said the police showered his body with bullets and claimed that he was killed in an encounter with police by the firing of his own accomplices.

Razi Khan, the deceased’s father, told reporters that his son was picked by a police official Sher Khan along with his friend Masood and shifted to Burhan Chowki and kept in illegal detention. He said when he went to meet his son, the police officials demanded illegal gratification for his release.

“When I refused to pay them money, the police tortured my son to death and staged the drama of an encounter,” he alleged.

Zaman, a protester, said CCTV footage of the illegal picking of the youth from his house was available.

The mother of the youth demanded Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and the chief justice of the Supreme Court provide her justice.

Later, assistant commissioner Hassanabdal Arif Qureshi along with notables of the area reached the spot and assured the protesters that action would be taken against the police officials. The protesters then dispersed peacefully.

Despite repeated attempts, a spokesman for the district police was not available for comments. However, an official at the Hassanabdal police station said the suspect was wanted in a case registered against him on June 4 for attempting to commit robbery and dishonestly receiving stolen property. He said on getting information that three suspects planning robbery were present on Tass Road near the motorway bridge, a police team reached there. However, after seeing the police, the suspects opened fire which was retaliated. When the firing stopped, the police found one of the attackers lying in a pool of blood. He had been hit by bullets fired by his two accompanies who managed to flee. The official said a case under section 302, 324, 353, 186 and 34 was registered against the suspects.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2024