In another incident of police violence reported this week, the Karachi police clashed with protesters as it launched an anti-encroachment drive in the city’s Gulistan-i-Jauhar area, and arrested six people involved in the protest demonstration.
The police kicked off an anti-encroachment drive in the area on Sindh High Court’s orders, however, people protested against the drive.
In response, the police baton charged the protesters. In videos making rounds on social media, police in riot control gear could be seen chasing protesters, with one policeman appearing to be striking a man with his shield.
Anti-encroachment operation in Gulistan-e-Johar, roads blocked, aerial firing by police #Karachi pic.twitter.com/4R8rjynmeg
— Bilal Naseer (@BNKoffical) March 14, 2023
Meanwhile, police have arrested six people over the protest demonstration.
The incident comes amid rising cases of police violence being reported this month.
Earlier, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) claimed that the party worker Ali Bilal had died in police custody.
On Wednesday, the PTI had decided to kick off its election campaign with a rally from Zaman Park to Data Darbar. The rally was later dedicated to the judiciary.
Shortly after, the Punjab government imposed section 144 in Lahore, banning all demonstrations and rallies. Police officials had also taken a number of PTI workers into custody for violating the ban and used water cannons in an effort to disperse them which had led the PTI chairman to call off the rally.
Following this, the PTI called off the rally and claimed that a party worker had died due to police torture.
However, Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar rejected allegations leveled by PTI that the provincial authorities were responsible for the death of the party worker and had said the incident was a road accident case.
The postmortem report of the worker has confirmed that he was brutally tortured. According to the report, as many as 26 different marks of torture were found on the victim’s body, including on sensitive parts, while a part of his skull was badly affected.
On March 8, Islamabad police baton-charged the Aurat March participants and blocked the route to the march with barbed wires and containers.
Aurat March is held annually across several cities of Pakistan to celebrate International Women’s Day.
At least three police personnel involved in the incident were later suspended.
