Sir: A report has emerged of motorway police opening fire on a passenger bus on the motorway near the Rawalpindi toll plaza. Three people, including the bus conductor, have been wounded. One of the injured is in critical condition. The motorway police have said they were pursuing the bus because they suspected that it was carrying contraband, and opened fire in retaliation after they were shot at from the bus.
However, video footage of the incident has emerged online. In it, only the motorway can be seen firing at the bus and not the other way around. Moreover, Nasirabad police have said that the police told the bus to stop, when the bus driver failed to stop, the motorway police opened fire. This contradicts the previous claim.
One is compelled to wonder what kind of contraband the motorway police suspected the bus of carrying, which could justify such use of lethal force. To fire at a commercial bus carrying civilian passengers is criminally irresponsible, and whoever gave the order for the firing must be held accountable for his actions.
MUBEEN SHAHNAWAZ
Multan
Published in Daily Times, May 31st 2018.