Tag: Usama Satti

  • Usama Satti killing: Probe finds counter-terror cops guilty

    A judicial inquiry into the killing of Rawalpindi youth Usama Satti by the five officials of the Anti-Terrorism Squad has found the policemen guilty and asked the authorities to use the Anti-Terrorism Act against the cops.

    Constable Muhammad Mustafa, Superintendent Hafiz Ikhtikar Ahmed, Constable Mudassar Mukhtiar, Constable Shakeel Ahmed, and Constable Saeed Ahmed gunned down Satti in an alleged car chase. They fired 17 bullets at the car, most of which hit the upper body of the slain student.

    The inquiry report also pointed out the “carelessness” of the police high-ups and ordered an investigation against the SP and DSP of the capital police.

    The report prepared by Additional Deputy Commissioner Rana Muhammad Waqas said that officers should be appointed on the basis of their mental health in addition to the physical prowess.

    “The system of police monitoring is weak,” it revealed, adding that the inspector general should improve the technology being used by the police. It further said that the ATS officials shouldn’t be allowed to work with the police without prior permission.

    Last week, at least five officials of Islamabad Police were arrested after they gunned down 21-year-old Usama Satti in cold blood in G-10 sector in the federal capital.

    The policemen who belonged to the Anti-Terrorism Squad fired bullets from the front and hit the youth mostly on the face and upper body. No weapons etc were discovered from the boy’s car.

    A source in the capital police had said that the ATS officials and the youth had an argument on New Year’s Eve when the police officials stopped his vehicle for checking. The source had claimed that the police officials stopped the guy even though they were off-duty at the time.

    This altercation between the cops and the youth may have resulted in this killing, the source claimed.

  • Police brutality, again

    Pakistan is no stranger to incidents of police brutality but there are events that leave the entire nation shell-shocked.

    Five officials of Islamabad Police’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) were arrested after they gunned down a 21-year-old boy, Usama Satti, in cold blood near Srinagar Highway, G-10 sector in the federal capital.

    This incident has led the nation to question why ours is a trigger-happy police force.

    Earlier today, Senate’s Human Rights Committee Chairperson Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar tweeted, “Heart goes out to the family of young Usama. Can’t imagine what his parents and loved ones must be going through. Although judicial inquiry has been ordered, will take it up in HR committee too. Use of deadly assault weapons should b the last resort. Fatal error of judgement.”

    Social media trends asking for justice for Satti as well as arresting Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed started trending following the young man’s brutal killing.

    In a report published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) in 2016 on police in Pakistan, the rights group noted that successive Pakistani governments have for decades failed to reform an under-resourced and under-equipped police force or hold abusive police to account. 

    Two years ago in January 2019, police officials killed several members of the same family in Sahiwal town on suspicion of terrorism. At that time, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan not just condemned the killings but he also promised police reforms so as to avoid torture and extrajudicial killings.

    An anti-terrorism court acquitted all six personnel of the CTD who were allegedly involved in the Sahiwal incident. The Punjab government did challenge the acquittal but such is the state of justice in this country that an encounter in broad daylight in front of young children could not garner any justice for the victims’ family.

    Two years ago in January 2019, police officials killed several members of the same family in Sahiwal town on suspicion of terrorism. At that time, Prime Minister Imran Khan not just condemned the killings but he also promised police reforms so as to avoid torture and extrajudicial killings. An anti-terrorism court acquitted all six personnel of the CTD police who were allegedly involved in the Sahiwal incident. The Punjab government did challenge the acquittal but such is the state of justice in this country that an encounter in broad daylight in front of young children could not garner any justice for the victims’ family.

    Police reforms were one of the key promises made by PM Imran and his party, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), when they came to power in 2018. Unfortunately, we have not seen any substantive move towards the same. It is important now more than ever that the government starts walking the talk because such incidents occur due to lack of accountability. We cannot continue to live in fear of a trigger-happy police force that can kill at will without any consequences.

    After police reforms in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) by the PTI government during its last tenure, we had high hopes that the PTI’s federal government would emulate the KP Police Act, 2017 in other provinces where it is in power, especially Punjab. We hope that the government would now do so at an urgent basis. 

  • Five Islamabad policemen arrested for killing youth in cold blood

    Five officials of Islamabad Police have been arrested after they gunned down a 21-year-old youth, Usama Satti, in cold blood near Srinagar Highway, G-10 sector in the federal capital.

    Unconfirmed reports say that the policemen who belonged to the Anti-Terrorist Squad fired 22 shots at the vehicle on Friday night, killing Satti on the spot. According to reports, shots were fired from the front and hit him mostly on the face and upper body. No weapons etc discovered from the boy’s car, they added.

    A source in the capital police said that the ATS officials and the youth had an argument on New Year’s Eve when the police officials stopped his vehicle for checking. The source claims that the police officials stopped the guy even though they were off-duty at the time. This altercation between the cops and the youth may have resulted in this killing, the source claimed.

    A departmental inquiry has already been initiated against the arrested police officials, with Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed vowing to deliver justice in the case.

    The IGP has also taken notice of the incident and formed an investigation team to probe the “suspicious shootout”.

    In 2017, a policeman had shot dead a youth in I-10 sector after he had failed to stop at a checkpoint. The policeman who had opened fire had claimed that the deceased failed to stop at the checkpoint despite his signal.