Lately, the death of a youngster has caused a huge hue and cry around the country. The young person namely Naqib Ullah Mehsud was killed in a police encounter in Karachi. The reasons for the encounter are yet to be shown in the evidence. SSP Rao Anwar clarified his position by declaring him a terrorist having relations with the terrorist outfits TTP and BLA.

Pakistan with regard to the police encounters has been an outlandish place. Encounters are considered to be the cheapest mode of delivering justice. Political scores are also settled through them. The legal position of these encounters is yet to be interpolated by the authorities. Making matter worse, some sub-nationalists made it an issue of ethnicity. Unfortunately, this sort of killing does raise concerns among the general masses, especially among those from whom the killed one belongs to. Regardless, encounters are a national issue that really need to be checked thoroughly, to halt the way of sowing the seeds of hatred among the people for their protectors.

Without clear and strict delineation, I am afraid of the occurrence of more casualties which will happen and the justice will be denied. Among the masses, the police are already considered to be the source of trepidation instead of dependence and protection, and fake encounters can further agitate detestation. What was the source of information of Rao Anwar that he assumed Naqid to be a terrorist? Even if he was a terrorist, is it legally and constitutionally justified to have him killed this way? If he was a terrorist in real sense, what is taking so long for the police to unveil the facts? Mere statements are not sufficient to answer to these questions.

JUNAID ALI MALIK,

Lahore, January 19.