Cop’s family protests delay in filing murder FIR

HYDERABAD:

The family of policeman Rafique Shaikh, who was fatally shot in an alleged ambush in Larkana’s Bakrani area on Saturday, staged a protest on Monday.

Along with supporters, they blocked the Larkana-Moen Jo Daro road, holding a sit-in with the deceased’s body to condemn the delay in registering FIR. The protest suspended traffic movement between over half a dozen major rural towns in Larkana.

While talking to the media, the deceased’s father, Mumtaz Ali Shaikh, and brother, Qurban Ali Shaikh, alleged that the police were refusing to register a murder FIR for their slain family member without providing any explanation.

They accused Abdul Rasool Bhayo, the SHO of Bakrani police station, of intentionally delaying the process. Bhayo was subsequently suspended from his post later in the day.

They claimed that Rafique had no known enemies whom they can suspect for his killing. They further claimed that he was shot dead during a robbery. They said many parts of their city have become hotbeds of criminal gangs which operate with impunity.

The politicians associated with Pakistan Peoples Party, Grand Democratic Alliance and other parties also visited the protest camp which lasted for around 10 hours before the bereaved family took away the dead body for the burial rites.

SSP Larkana Ahmed Chaudhry suspended SHO Bhayo and sent ASP Larkana and DSP Bakrani to negotiate with the cop’s family. The talks, however, made no headway.