Pakistan: Armed group attack, injure police team at Supreme Court Housing Society

Islamabad [Pakistan], March 4 (ANI): A group of people armed with weapons, axes and batons attacked and injured a police team at Supreme Court Housing Society, police said on Friday, Pakistan-based Dawn newspaper reported. The injured persons have been identified as station house officer (SHO), Shahzad Town Sub-inspector Mohammad Azeem, Assistant Sub-inspector Zafar Iqbal and constable Ghulam Mustafa. A case was registered over the incident at the Shahzad Town police station against 16 people, including three women.

According to the FIR, the group armed with pistols and axes attacked labourers who were constructing the boundary wall of the Supreme Court Society at Tamma. They also brought an excavator and started demolishing the boundary wall with the intention of grabbing the land, it claimed. According to Dawn, they threatened the labourers with dire consequences and in response, the supervisor of the labourers informed the police, the FIR said. In response, when the police reached the spot they were attacked.

The police, however, remained safe, according to the FIR. Later, ASI Zafar Iqbal was attacked with an axe while two other persons overpowered constable Mustafa and beat him with batons, tearing his uniform. The SHO was attacked with batons and stones by two other persons. Moreover, the three women pelted the policemen with stones. After another police team reached the spot, the attackers escaped said the FIR. Recently, two policemen were killed while two got injured in a remote-controlled blast in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district, according to a police official, Pakistan-based Dawn newspaper reported.

Khuzdar Station House Officer (SHO) Muhammad Jan Sasoli told Dawn that Khuzdar Superintendent of Police (SP) Fahad Khan Khoso’s security squad was targeted near the Jhalawan Complex in a “remote-controlled blast”. According to Sasoli, one policeman died on the spot while another succumbed to injuries at the District Headquarters Hospital, Khuzdar where the injured were moved for medical treatment.

According to SHO Sasoli: “SP Khuzdar’s squad was patrolling in the area when the blast occurred.” He added that additional police contingents reached the blast site and cordoned off the area. “A search operation is currently underway,” the SHO said.
Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo condemned the incident and extended condolences to the families of those killed and injured, Dawn reported.