Justice for Arslan Mehsud: 16-Year-Old Shot Dead in Alleged Police Encounter

In a tragic incident, a 16-year-old student, Arslan Mehsud, was shot dead in an alleged police encounter at Orangi Town 5 area in Karachi. The incident has caused massive uproar on social media with hashtag #JusticeForArslan as netizens demand Justice For Arslan Mehsud and urge government to punish those responsible for his death.

According to the details, the 16-year-old was a resident of Ittehad Town and he was returning home from the tuition center along with his friends when they were targeted by Orangi Town Police. The alleged encounter cost Arslan Mehsud his life while his friends sustained several injuries.

Arslan Mehsud was the son of Haji Mehsud, the president of the Karachi Dumpers Associations, who along with other family members arrived at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital after the incident and staged a sit-in protest to demand Justice for Arslan Mehsud. Meanwhile, the relatives also rejected the police version of the incident, saying that Arslan was a student and he was not guilty of anything.

The police had earlier claimed that they had tried to stop two men on a motorcycle, however, the two men opened fire on the police personnel instead of stopping which led to the death of one suspect while the other survived. However, the bereaved family of Arslan Mehsud says that no firearm was recovered from the 16-year-old.

The statement of the police personnel was rejected by the DIG West Nasif Aftab, saying that the suspicious encounter did not take place at the picket where the police claimed to have instructed the stop but it happened at a distance. Furthermore, the police official who shot at the youngsters was in plainclothes, not in his uniform.

Meanwhile, a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered under sections 34 (common intention), 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment), 302 (murder), 324 (attempted murder) and 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the incident occurred within the limits of Orangi Town Police Station and the family believe that the incident was a mugging gone wrong. The inquiry into the matter has revealed that the police personnel, Tauheed, who shot Arslan Mehsud, was on an intelligence duty when the incident occurred.

The police has taken constable Tauheed and his friend Umair, who was also present during the incident, into custody. It is pertinent to mention that constable Tauheed was in plainclothes at the time and as per the protocols in such situations, he was not suppose to take action unless absolutely necessary.

Moreover, the victim’s friend, who survived the incident, has told the investigation team that they thought constable Tauheed and his friends were dacoits as they were not in uniform while the family also believes that the incident was a mugging gone wrong.

The medical examination of Arslan Mehsud stated that he had been hit by a single bullet in the back which had pierced his chest along with bruises which possibly occurred when falling off the bike after being shot.

The tragic incident has caused massive condemnation on social media with hashtag #JusticeForArslan as netizens demand Justice for Arslan Mehsud, the 16-year-old shot dead in fake police encounter in Karachi.

Read more: Justice For Arsalan: Martyred in a fake police encounter.

Follow INCPAK on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram  for update.