Policemen are reported to have killed a businessman on Sunday after allegedly snatching Rs70,000 and a cell phone from his possession. Leaders of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Awami National party and office-bearers of the Anjuman-e-Tajiran Balochistan have condemned the incident.
Eyewitnesses said two policemen stopped a rickshaw on the McConghy Road, ordering a businessman Asghar Shah to come out of the rickshaw. They said that policemen deprived the businessman of cash and his cell phone and opened fire on him, killing him on the spot. Eyewitnesses said that the two policeman later cleaned blood from the crime scene.
Activists of the PMAP, ANP and members of the Anjuman-e-Tajiran protested against the incident, burning tyres in various localities, including Jinnah Road, Prince Road and the local Civil Hospital.
Demonstrators took the businessman's corpse to the Governor House where they also staged a protest demonstration. They urged the government to take action against the policemen involved in the incident.
Protesters were addressed by President of the ANP, Balochistan, Aurang Zeb Kasi, provincial Secretary of the PMAP Abdul Qahar Wadan and President of the Anjuman-e-Tajiran Abdul Rahim Kakar, accusing policemen of harassing and extorting people across the city. They said that they would be forced to chalk a course of action if the trend continued unabated.
PMAP, ANP and the Anjuman-e-Tajiran are also reported to have threatened to stage a shutter-down strike on Monday. The Hazara Democratic Party has announced it would support the strike.
Meanwhile, provincial Home Secretary Naseebullah Bazai told reporters outside the Governor House that two policemen concerned had been arrested and an FIR had been lodged against them.
Commissioner, Quetta, Naseem Lehri and Deputy Commissioner Hashim Ghilzai were also present on the occasion. Protesters dispersed after being assured of stern action by the authorities concerned.