The price of riding a car

A 23-years-old boy, who was shot dead in an alleged police encounter in Green Town Police Area during the wee hours of Monday along with a hardened criminal, was a student of BS Honours (Computer Engineering) at Government College University Lahore (GCU).
Tanveer Arif was shot dead by Nawab Town Police in an alleged encounter along with one Asad Cheema alias Pathan. Police claimed they had intercepted a Suzuki Cultus car during a routine patrolling but the riders had ignored the signal and had tried to escape. The police, in the chase, exchanged fire with the riders. When the firing ended, two riders were found dead while three had managed to escape. The police claimed that both Tanveer Arif and Asad Cheema were hardened criminals and were residents of Sheikhupura.
The story told by the police was challenged by the heirs of the deceased Tanveer Arif who claimed that Arif belonged to Pindi Bhodran located in Tehsil Phalia of Mandi Bahauldin District. They told Pakistan Today at Jinnah Hospital morgue on Tuesday that Tanveer Arif was a student of BS Honours (Computer Engineering) at GCU. They said Arif had been taking private classes of LLM. They said Arif was residing in the city along with his friends in a private apartment located in Johar Town Area.
They claimed that Arif was never involved in criminal activities and not even a single case was registered by any police against Arif, who belongs from a middle class family and was fighting hard to find a career to secure his future.
A close friend of Arif while revealing the real story said Arif was alone at his shared apartment on Sunday when Asad Cheema along with one Kashi Bhatti reached there with a reference of another room mate of Tanveer in order to stay for a day or two. He said Cheema and his friend Bhatti were hardened criminals and were wanted by the police. He said according to his information Cheema and Bhatti were also involved in the kidnapping of the family of a station house officer of Faisalabad couple of weeks ago.
He said Arif, on Sunday night, called his room mate and asked about an address located near Wapda Town because Cheema wanted to meet his girlfriend there. He said according to their information, Cheema’s girlfriend was in contact with police and as Cheema and Arif reached the house on a Suzuki Cultus, the police tried to intercept them and later killed them in the firing that ensued.
He said Asad’s friend Kashi Bhatti, was riding along with his friend on a Corolla car and also received bullet injuries but managed to flee from the scene. He said Arif was shot dead by police only for sitting along with a proclaimed offender. He said the police party could easily have nabbed Arif if they wanted to but they never tried to arrest him. He while quoting the FIR said the police had charged Arif of firing shots at the police with a Kalashnikov which he neither possessed nor knew how to use.
Muhammad Arif, a clerk, father of deceased Tanveer, saidthat he does not want to take any action against any policemen because he does not expect justice from Punjab or Lahore Police. Deceased’s brother Raheel while talking to reporters requested that his brother should not be mentioned as a robber in a news items. He said he and his family had realized that it was Tanvir’s mistake since he was in a car with a hardened criminal.
Later on few friends and students of Punjab University protested against police at Canal Road near Punjab University and later outside Jinnah Hospital. The protestors requested authorities to order a judicial enquiry in this matter.