- Family says police fired without signalling them.
- Youth suffers bullet wound in lower back.
- Police say suspects opened fire on personnel.
KARACHI: A 21-year-old man was injured in alleged firing by police personnel in Karachi’s Nazimabad No 3, with his family disputing the police version that he was shot by suspects during an encounter.
According to the family, Shuraim Khalid was travelling with his cousin Muhammad Tayyab to collect a motorcycle part when police personnel allegedly opened fire on them.
Tayyab claimed the policemen neither signalled nor asked them to stop before firing three shots from behind.
“They neither stopped us nor gave any signal; otherwise, we would have stopped,” Tayyab said. “They came from behind and fired straight shots — three rounds in total.”
He said one of the bullets passed close to his feet while another struck Shuraim in the lower back.
According to the family, the police personnel themselves subsequently took the injured youth to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. He was later transferred to Jinnah Hospital for further treatment.
Shuraim’s mother said her son was the sole breadwinner of the family and was also due to get married.
“God forbid, if he had died or something had happened to him, would these people give a life in exchange for a life?” she questioned.
“I want justice. The police officers who took him to Abbasi should come before me,” she added.
In a video statement from the hospital, Shuraim also sought cooperation from police authorities over his treatment.
“Due to a police officer’s mistake, I am stuck here,” he said, adding that a private hospital was demanding at least Rs200,000 merely for admission.
“My request and appeal to the police officers is to cooperate with me in this, because the mistake lies with them,” Shuraim said.
Police give different account
Police authorities, however, maintained that the incident occurred during an encounter with suspects.
According to the FIR registered at the Nazimabad police station on the complaint of Constable Shehraz, patrolling police personnel signalled suspicious motorcyclists to stop.
The suspects allegedly opened fire on the police party, prompting retaliatory firing by the personnel, according to the police account.
Police claimed Shuraim was struck by firing from the suspects rather than the personnel.
The Crime Scene Unit recovered nine 9mm and thirty .30-bore bullet casings from the scene, while further investigation into the incident is underway.
