KARACHI: Police on Saturday registered a case against two policemen and a suspected drug peddler after a vendor was killed during an encounter in Nazimabad on Friday night.

The killing of the vendor, Usman Khalil, triggered a protest that continued till the early hours of Saturday. Charged people carrying the coffin of the deceased also beat up a few policemen before holding successful talks with a police team.

They ended the protest when the Rizvia Society police registered a murder case against the two policemen as well as the peddler, a police spokesperson said, adding that the Rizvia Society SHO and two policemen were also suspended.

The spokesperson said that the Liaquatabad SP was appointed as the inquiry officer to conduct a probe into the incident and submit a detailed report within three days.

SSP Central retired lieutenant Ghulam Murtaza Tabassam submitted an initial incident report to high-ups stating that at around 6.30pm on Friday policemen Waheed, Ateequllah, Rashid, Rameez and Faizan of the Rizvia police station carried out a raid at Kabli Bazaar in street-6 in Nazimabad No 1 to arrest “notorious drug peddler Fazal alias Bachani”.

The vendor was caught in the crossfire between police and peddlers; area SHO suspended

He stated that the peddler managed to escape from the spot and his accomplices opened fire on the police party, that returned fire. “During the exchange of fire one civilian, Usman Khalil, received bullet injury and expired,” it added.

Following the killing of the citizen, who sold potato chips from a stall, people took to the streets in protest over the incident and blocked the road for vehicular traffic.

The police report alleged that some of the protesters were “supporters of narcotic peddler Fazal alias Bachani” and a “few of them were responsible citizens and supporting the victim”.

“Since the mob mostly belongs to Pashto-speaking community, therefore a dialogue team comprising DSP Jameel Bangash, Inspector Haji Sanaullah and Inspector Liaquat Hayat was formed to hold talks with the family of the victim and try to defuse the situation,” the SSP stated in the report.

Later, the protesters ended their protest early Saturday morning, he added.

“A detailed inquiry is being conducted to unearth the factual position, verify the conduct of police officials and supervision of SHO,” the report said, adding: “An appropriate action would be taken against the culprits in the light of the inquiry.”

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2021