Student killed in alleged encounter

KARACHI: In an alleged encounter, a police official gunned down a student of grade 12 and shot and injured his friend in Karachi’s Orangi Town area on Monday night.

The police official claimed that the college student identified as Arsalan Mehsood was killed in an exchange of fire, while his accomplice fled in injured condition.

Upon receiving the information, a large number of relatives of the victim reached the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and termed the claim of police encounter a lie. They said Arsalan Mehsood was going home from the tuition centre along with his friend Yasir.

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Deputy Inspector General West Nasir Aftab has formed a three-member committee including SSP Central Murtaza Tabassum, SP Investigation Central Shehla Qureshi and the SP Gulberg to investigate the incident.

The DIG West himself arrived at the hospital to look into the case. He has suspended SHO Orangi Azam Gopal for negligence.

Police said the police official Toheed, who opened fire on the young man, was wearing plain clothes at the time of the incident and his friend was driving a bike. A private licensed weapon was recovered from Toheed. Police said the incident did not take place at a check post.

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Police sources said the victim was a son of an official of the Karachi Dumper Association, Haji Liaquat.

While, Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) leader and Leader of Opposition in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh said father of the victim was a PTI worker and blamed the provincial chief minister for the incident.