PAKISTAN: Two teenagers were allegedly shot dead in a fake police encounter

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned by an alleged extra-judicial killings of two minors by one head constable of the Daharki police station, Daharki district, Sindh province, Pakistan on 27 March 2007. Two young boys aged 13 and 15 separately was shot by the policeman in broad daylight in public. One boy (15) was killed at the spot, while the other injured boy (13) was shot dead at point blank range in the police van before reaching the hospital. Now the Daharki police are attempting to cover up the brutal killings by claiming that the boys were killed during a “police encounter”. To date, the police have even refused to register a First Information Report against the concerned policeman. As a result, no investigation has been launched into this case. We were informed that the concerned policeman is allegedly carrying out fake police encounter killings of innocent persons to get promoted as sub inspector. This is yet another clear example to show the lawlessness of the policing system in Pakistan. We call for your immediate and strong intervention into this case so that the alleged perpetrator can be brought to justice as soon as possible. 

CASE DETAILS:

At around 2:45pm on 27 March 2007, two young boys namely Akhlaq Hussain Sheikh, aged 15, and Aijaz Ahmed, aged 13, were riding on a motorbike through cinema road, a busy commercial area of Dharki city, Ubaro town council, Sindh province, Pakistan, in order to distribute marriage invitation cards of one of their close friend.

When the two boys reached in front of one hotel, Mr. Farid Sameejo, the Head Constable of the Dharki police station as well as the owner of the hotel, ordered one hotel employee to hold the boys. The hotel boy then held the motorbike of the boys and Mr. Fareed Sameejo in civilian dress, ordered the boys to raise their hands up and allegedly fired first at the legs of Akhlaq Hussain Sheikh and then shot at Mr. Aijaz Ahmed with an AK47 rifle. Both of them received severe gunshot injuries and fell on the road.

Upon hearing the gunshots, the people gathered at the scene and asked the Head Constable why the boys were shot. The Head Constable then allegedly told the crowed that the boys have snatched a motorbike and they are dacoits. At this time, the owner of the motorbike arrived at the scene and said that it is his motorbike and he told the boys to use it to distribute the wedding cards.

When facing the anger of the crowd, the said Head Constable allegedly fired point blank at Akhlaq Hussain Sheikh, who died instantly. The Head Constable then with the help of the hotel boy put the injured Aijaz Ahmed in the police van and drove to Daharki Town Hospital, where doctors advised him to take Aijaz Ahmed to the Civil Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab province, which is 80 kilometers away from Dhaharki city.

The said Head Constable then took the injured Aijaz Ahmed back to the vehicle but he headed back towards the Dhakarki Town Hospital from Ubaro by-pass after driving about 12 kilometers. It is alleged that the Head Constable shot Aijaz Ahmed dead before reaching the Dhakarki Town Hospital.

After that, the said Head Constable went to the Daharki police station and attempted to file an “encounter killing” case against the two boys. However, when he could not give any strong evidence to prove his claim, he allegedly fired just close to his foot at the backyard of the police station and bullet marked some scratches on his foot. He then went back to the same town hospital and got the paper that he also sustained bullet injures by the two bandits.

In the evening of the same day, Mr. Mohammad Aslam Laghari, the Station Head Officer (SHO) of the Dharki police station, along with the concerned Head Constable Mr. Fareed Sameejo briefed local media reporters that two dacoits were killed in a police encounter. They claimed that the police had to fire at them because they attempted to escape when the police stopped them. The police also produced the same AK 47, which was used by the concerned Head Constable, but claimed that the police seized it from the boys.

As this news spread all over the locality and adjoining villages, local people gathered outside the police station in order to collect the bodies of the two boys. However, the police refused to hand over the bodies saying that it can only be done with the permission of a judicial magistrate. The outraged people then resorted to a protest and blocked the national highway the whole night.

On March 28, the police again refused to hand over the bodies of the boys and in response, the local people again blocked the national highways between the provinces of Punjab and Sindh. After the intervention from several influential persons particularly the chief of the Daher tribe, Mr. Jam Munir Ahmed Daher, the bodies of the boys were returned to their families after 24 hours of the incident.

However, to date the SHO of the Dharki police station has refused to file a First Information Report (FIR) against the concerned Head Constable, although it is a crucial initial procedure to institute a criminal case against the accused in Pakistan law.

It is reported that the accused Head Constable Mr. Fareed Sameejo is notorious for committing fake police encounter killings. For example, in late January 2007, he allegedly killed one young man namely Mr. Gabol on the pretext of “police encounter” in the same spot declaring him a dacoit. Mr. Gabol was a 19-year-old manual laborer. Local people allege that this Head Constable wants to be promoted as a sub inspector and commits “fake police encounter killings” for this purpose.

SUGGESTED ACTION: 
Please immediately write to the concerned local authorities listed below demanding their urgent intervention into this case. Please urge them to arrest the concerned policeman immediately and charge him with double murder. Please also request them to take action against the SHO of the Dharki police station responsible for attempting to cover up the killings, and to hold an independent judicial inquiry into this case to ensure the transparency of the investigation. Please urge them the investigation should not be conducted by the local police. Please also request them to ensure that the victims’ families are awarded adequate compensation.

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