ISLAMABAD
\nA police official accused of fatally shooting a man near a police picket in Islamabad in the wee hours of Friday has surrendered before the police, an official said on Sunday.
\nThe officer of police\u2019s Eagle Squad, Samiullah Niazi, had fled the scene after the incident and police had had initiated a search for the suspect.
\nHowever, two days after the incident the officials informed media that Niazi has presented himself in front of the Superintendent Police (SP) Sajid Kiani.
\nNiazi will be taken to court on Monday, the officials confirmed.
\nThe victim, later identified as Taimoor Riaz, a salesman of auto spare-parts, was shot dead in Islamabad\u2019s Sector I-10\/1 in the early hours of Friday after allegedly failing to stop at a checkpoint.
\nA police officer had told Mediaon the condition of anonymity that between 4:30am and 4:45am on Friday a rashly-driven Toyota Corolla approached the picket set up on a link road between the I.J. Principal Road and Sector I-10 from the Islamabad side.
\nAround three to five officials deployed at the picket signalled the driver to stop but he ignored and drive through.
\nThe victim was hit by three bullets – two in the back and one in the head.
\nStation House Officer (SHO) Sabzi Mandi Saleem Shah was suspended for his failure to respond on time and arrest the officials. The police said a woman travelling in the car with the deceased had taken him to the hospital in a taxi.
\nThe incident sparked rioting and protests on Islamabad\u2019s IJP Road, with the victim\u2019s family dismissing the police statement and saying there had been no prior warning or order to stop before the officer opened fire.
\nThe police handed over the body to the relatives of the deceased after an autopsy at the hospital. The protesters took the body to the road and damaged public and private property during the protest.
\nThey later dispersed after officials of the police and the capital administration assured them that the suspected policemen would be arrested within 48 hours. (PR)
\nA case was registered against the officials in response to a complaint lodged by the victim\u2019s brother on the charge of murder, the police stated.
\nTalking to the media, the deceased\u2019s mother, Syeda Bibi, said her son had two children. His brother Sajjad Riaz told \u201cWe are in the dark as nobody is telling us what actually happened.\u201d
\nHe added: \u201cWe have been told that an official of the Eagle Squad fired at Taimoor when he crossed the picket, killing him on the spot.\u201d
\nAccording to the standard operating procedure (SOP), police can only fire in retaliation and self-defence, the police officer explained, adding if any person ignored the police signal to stop, they should be chased. In case of unavailability of a vehicle, the police control should be alerted to arrest the escapee.
\nIn some circumstances, the police have the permission to fire but even in that situation they should target the vehicle\u2019s tyres or the person\u2019s leg.
\nThe possibility of an error cannot be ruled out as policeman\u2019s aim may also miss the target and become lethal.\u201d
\nHe said the spot where the incident occurred was considered dangerous and officials deployed there were always directed to be extra cautious and alert, he stated.
\nIt was the third fatal firing incident in the same locality in two years. In 2015, police officials at a picket in the area were attacked by gunmen, resulting in the killing of an official and a passerby woman.
\nOn February 12, 2016, a police constable was killed and a head constable and an official of the Frontier Constabulary were injured in the area.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD A police official accused of fatally shooting a man near a police picket in Islamabad in the wee hours of Friday has surrendered before the police, an official said on Sunday. The officer of police\u2019s Eagle Squad, Samiullah Niazi, had fled the scene after the incident and police had had initiated a search for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-11520","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n