Sohrab Goth | Pakistan

The Karachi police arrested two of the seven cops who were booked after a “teenage boy” died under controversial circumstances in the Special Investigation Unit’s (SIU) custody, while the victim’s relatives held a sit-in at Sohrab Goth on Saturday to demand justice. The seven cops were suspended a day ago after the incident came to light. While the police claimed that Muhammad Irfan died of heart attack, his relatives alleged that he was tortured to death. A first information report (FIR) of the incident was registered the same day at the Saddar Police Station on the complaint of SIU and Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) Station House Officer (SHO) Mumtaz Ahmed under Sections 34 (common intention) and 319 (manslaughter) of the Pakistan Penal Code against seven nominated SIU/CIA officers. “The SIU/CIA police have handed over custody of two suspects nominated in FIR … who have been arrested. If need be, we shall convert the case to 302 (premeditated murder) and arrest more SIU officials if they were found involv...

Police on Wednesday launched an operation to demolish hundreds of houses vacated by Afghans in Karachi’s Afghan Camp in the Sohrab Goth area to prevent “illegal occupation by rogue elements,” officials said. The land belongs to the Malir Development Authority (MDA). It comprises 3,117 houses, including those of 200 to 250 Pakistani families. Around 15,680 Afghan nationals were previously residing in the camp. Of them, 14,296 have returned to Afghanistan, while the remaining 1,384 are still living there and are being repatriated in phases. West Zone Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Irfan Ali Baloch told Dawn.com, “The government-owned land was spread over 200 acres, with 3,000 houses built to accommodate Afghans.” DIG Baloch further said he had written a letter to police authorities to set up a special committee comprising representatives of the city administration, police and other relevant institutions to prevent illegal occupation of the vacated government land. “It was the biggest camp of displaced Afghans w...