Police shoot dead unarmed citizen at Faisalabad checkpost

In yet another incident of alleged extra-judicial killing at the hands of Punjab Police, a team of cops on routine patrolling at Dijkot, Faisalabad, on Thursday shot dead a man and seriously wounded three others for not stopping at a checkpost, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The incident led to an outrage in people, who blocked the road to record their protest over the murder of Waqas, the only bread-earner of his family.

Police said it had signalled a car to stop. But those seated inside it resorted to firing and the driver tried to speed away. The cops retaliated due to which one person named Waqas was killed, it added.

According to police’s version, the driver as well as those travelling with him were also drunk at that time.

However, according to some reports, police opened fire at the car after a tyre of the victim’s car rolled on to ASI Shahid Manzoor’s foot though causing no injury.

On receiving information, district police and patrolling police personnel reached the site of the incident and started inquiry.

Later, police arrested four personnel, including ASI Shahid Manzoor, after registering a case against them.

However, in his report sent to Punjab IGP, CPO Sohail Chaudhry has said as per initial departmental inquiry the incident took place due to the negligence of the police officials. “The cops have been found guilty of misusing their authority and violating the rules. And that there was no justification of firing at unarmed and innocent people,” he said in his report.

Father demands justice 

35-year-old Waqas, the resident of Chak No 475, was the father of three children. 

Demanded justice, his father has said his loss is irreparable. He said when police signaled him to stop, he stepped out of the car and raised his hands to show he was unarmed. “Still police opened fire at my son,” he said, and added mere registration of case and arrest of the cops was not enough, and that he wanted that justice be done to him in this case.

Meanwhile, according to the postmortem done at Faisalabad’s Allied Hospital, Waqas was hit by one bullet.

District In-charge Legal Dr. Zafar told the media that the bullet had entered Waqas’s body from the right side and exited from the abdomen.

Sources have told 24News that the bullet had been fired from a Kalashnikov.

Punjab CM takes notice

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has taken notice of the killing of a youth in broad daylight at Dijkot, and sought a report from the IGP.

Probe committee

CPO Sohail Chaudhry, in order to get to the bottom of the incident, has constituted a five-member team, to be headed by SSP Investigation Bilal Iftikhar and consisting of SP Iqbal Division Hafiz Kamran, DSP Factory Area, SHO Dijkot and In-charge Homicide at Dijkot police station.

DSP Legal, DSP CIA and In-charge CTD would assist the committee.

The CPO has already issued a notification in this regard. He has directed the committee to complete inquiry as early as possible and send the report to him.

Sohail Chaudhry has also directed the team to bring forth all details.