Dozens of relatives of a 17-year-old youth, who was killed by unidentified men in the Islampura Police Station precincts on Sunday, offered his funeral in a peaceful protest on main road in front of the Punjab Police Inspector General Office on Monday.
According to details, Umar Farooq, a resident of Rabbani Road, was talking on phone and walking on a road located adjacent to office of the Islampura deputy superintendent of police (DSP), only a few yards away from the IGP office, when two unidentified motorcyclists held him on gunpoint and tried to snatch a mobile from him. Farooq offered resistance over which the robbers opened indiscriminate fire at him and fled.
The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Farooq’s relatives gathered near the IGP office and placed his body on the road and staged a massive protest. The protesters blocked the road for more than an hour and chanted anti-government and anti-police slogans.
They offered the deceased’s funeral prayer at the same place and held the policemen deployed at security of the IGP responsible for the death of Farooq.
Farooq’s father Muhammad Riaz, who late on Sunday night in his complaint to the Islampura Police, claimed that his son was killed by robbers, told journalists that his son died because of sheer negligence of policemen deployed for security of the IGP office. He said that when robbers fled after injuring his son, the policemen were witnessing the scene and they despite rushing him to the hospital waited for rescue officials.
Riaz claimed that his son died owing to excessive bleeding and if he was rushed to the hospital immediately after he was shot, doctors could have saved his life. Farooq’s father claimed that when they questioned the policeman that why they had not rushed Farooq to the hospital immediately, the policemen said that they were supposed to protect the IGP’s office and not an injured man.
Riaz claimed that late on Sunday night, after his son’s body was removed to the morgue for autopsy, various officers from CIA Police visited him and tried to pressurise him for offering the funeral of his son immediately. The protesters disbursed peacefully after City Division Superintendent of Police (SP) Ahmed Nawaz Cheema reached the spot and assured the protesters to nab the criminals as soon as possible. Afterwards, protesters took the body of the deceased to the Miani Sahib Graveyard and buried it.
Separately, a 19-year-old youth was allegedly killed by his two relatives over unknown reasons in the Badami Bagh Police Station precincts.
The deceased was identified as Asad Hussain, who belonged to Sialkot. Police said that Asad had come to see his relatives on Sunday. On Monday, two accused including Ghulam Abbas and Zaheer Abbas approached him and opened indiscriminate fire at him. Police said that the motive behind murder was still to be investigated. Police shifted the body to the city morgue for autopsy and registered a case against both the accused on complaint of the deceased’s mother Khalida. The accused were still at large while police started a manhunt for them.
Also on Monday, a 25-year-old man was allegedly killed over an old enmity in Qazi Park Shahdara Police Station precincts. The deceased was identified as Farhan Nasim, son of Naseem Ilahi, a resident of Qazi Park. Police said that Farhan was sitting in his drawing room along with his father, brother and a friend, when four armed men stormed into the house. The accused opened fire at his temple. As a result, Farhan died on the spot. Police reached the spot and removed the body to the city morgue for autopsy. A case was registered against four people including Zulfiqar, Tariq, Nazakat and one unidentified person on complaint of the deceased’s father Naseem Ilahi.
Investigation Officer of the case Sub-Inspector Basharat said that both the families had a property dispute several years ago. He said that Farhan’s family had killed Sharafat in 2005 and the deceased along with his brother Mithoo were nominated in the case. The sub-inspector added that Farhan came out of jail some six months ago after completing his five years sentence. He said that on Monday, the rival party attacked Farhan’s house and shot him dead with a 30-bore pistol. He said that police have started a manhunt for the accused.