DERA GHAZI KHAN: An angry mob burnt alive a banned outfit leader, who murdered a leader and his father while injuring another, after storming the Choti Zirin police station on Thursday.
Hafiz Abdullah, the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) district secretary general, killed local leader Naseem Abbas, injured his father Haji Ghulam Rasool and Matloob Hussain, a Post Office official, with a dagger and firing.
Haji Ghulam Rasool was shifted to the DHQ Hospital. He was referred to the Nishtar Hospital Multan due to his critical condition where he died. After the incident, Hafiz Abdullah courted arrest at the police station.
Later, dozens of protestors gathered at the Traffic Chowk, stormed the police station and dragged him out by tying a rope to his neck and foot. They burnt him alive and refused to hand over his body to the police. The protestors also damaged the police station and two vehicles while the record was also burnt.
Tension gripped the town while a heavy contingent of police was called from other districts to control the situation. Meanwhile, traders observed a complete shutdown in protest against the incident.
Locals told The News that the police seemed helpless in controlling the violence. Commissioner Hassan Iqbal, PRO Ahmad Mubarik and other police officers reached the spot. A heavy contingent of police was called from other districts which sealed the city and no one was allowed to enter or leave the city. The autopsy could not be carried out on the two bodies till the filing of this report. The police said that the case would be registered after the autopsy.
