Fake police encounters become norm in Pakistan: Report

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Fake Police encounters have become a norm in Pakistan, according to Dawn.

A resident of Karachi, Kashif fell victim to a fake encounter staged by the police. He has since been granted bail and returned to his hometown.

One of Kashif’s legs had to be amputated following bullet injuries he suffered in an ‘encounter’ with police, all while he was in custody.

Kashif’s mother Zarina said: “I just want to go home. Jo khuda ko manzoor tha ho gaya [what had to happen has happened].” Her son was a suspect in a crime being handled by the Cantonment police.

“They shot at me twice in the leg inside Cantonment police station on March 3,” alleged Kashif.

Around half a dozen more such suspects were admitted to Liaquat University Hospital, as per Dawn.

As per Dawn’s investigations, policing in Pakistan’s Hyderabad has been “outsourced” and the brutal regime of ‘half fry and full fry’ reigns supreme.

While half fry entails loss of limbs, ‘full fry’ refers to the suspect’s custodial killing. However, chilling it may be, such policing wins accolades for police from trader bodies, social workers, etc.

Private persons and sacked or former low-grade policemen perform the “job” (inflicting injury upon suspects) at the behest of SHOs.

A CIA police source said: “Every SSP knows private persons work alongside SHOs. These men collect bribes to allow sale of mainpuri, gutka, gambling, prostitution, etc despite Sindh IGP’s directives to eradicate these crime. Some of them are so influential they can even get SHOs posted.” (ANI)