Kharotabad killings: FC shifts onus on police

Balochistan Frontier Corps personnel on Tuesday shifted the responsibility for the Kharotabad killing to police, telling the inquiry tribunal that police had first opened fire on the five Chechens killed in the incident. Over 22 witnesses have so far recorded their statements with the tribunal formed by the Balochistan government to investigate the killing of five Chechens, including three women.In his statement, Lt Colonel Faisal Shehzad said he had not ordered his men to open fire, adding that when he reached the spot the FC and police personnel had already taken positions and the foreigners were lying on the ground in an injured state.
“When I wanted to get closer to the foreigners, a police official stopped me by telling me that some of them were still alive and could blow themselves up,” he said. Shehzad said he was in Ghaza Band Headquarters on May 17 when FC soldier Ramzan manning the Khezi checkpost informed him about the explosion and the shooting. He said Commandant Colonel Naveed Safdar directed him to rush to the spot, adding that he was on his way to the area when an FC soldier at the Khezi post told him to approach carefully, as the shootout was still under way.Shehzad said he talked to Capital City Police Officer Dawood Junejo later, who said he had not ordered his men to open fire.
FC official Mohammad Hashim told the tribunal that he was inside the checkpost when three women and two men approached it. He said he signalled them to stop, but they ignored his directive.“As they got closer to the picket, a huge explosion took place followed by police opening fire on them,” he said. Another FC official Taj Muhammad said he was inside the checkpost when the blast took place. He said he saw a woman waving her hand after the blast, after which police and FC personnel started firing on the foreigners.