Daily Times

LAHORE: The family members of 14-year-old Salim who was shot dead during an alleged encounter near Shadbagh area on May 29, are waiting for justice as police still did not mention any Dolphin Force personnel’s name in the FIR or arrest any responsible person for this tragic incident.

The deceased’s father Amir and other family members told Daily Times that they are very poor people and did not fight against police or other influential persons. They said that the family visited the police station several times as well as other police stations to inquire about the responsible persons involved in the killing of their teenage son Salim who was the only bread winner of the poor family but the police officials told them that investigation is continuing and the responsible persons would be arrested soon.

Salim’s family members also appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar to take suo moto of the tragic incident and provide justice to the poor family as soon as possible.

On May 29, 2018, a 14-year-old boy was killed by the Dolphin Force when they opened fire at suspects riding in car on Ring Road, Shadbagh police station area.

The Dolphin Force had signaled to a suspicious vehicle to stop at Ring Road near Shadbagh area but the unknown car riders did not follow the order and tried to escape. However, personnel of Dolphin Force chased the suspects. Meanwhile, allegedly the car rider fired shots on the police force to which the police also retaliated.

Salim who was standing in the corner of the road along with a few other men filling bottles from a water cooler, got hit by the bullets on his neck, resulting in his instant death. The boy succumbed to his wounds and died on the spot.

While the Dolphin Police personnel had claimed that the boy was caught in the middle of the gun battle, eyewitnesses claimed that only the police force opened fire on the suspects.

Police claimed that the suspects arrested were involved in serious crimes. Police had also confiscated all items found from the vehicle of the suspects.

Eyewitnesses had said that the unknown car riders did not fire on the police party but the Dolphin Force personnel had fired straight shots on the car and the innocent boy standing near the water filter plant received bullet shot in his neck and died on the spot.

They added that police pulled out all the car riders and fire shots at the wounded person. They said that a number of locals were present at the time and did not see any weapon or other illegal items in their custody. They said that police personnel also tortured all of them in front of the public and no one tried to shift the injured boy to a hospital or called the forensic department to collect evidence on the spot.

Published in Daily Times, June 4^th 2018.