A man shot during a dispute in Hyderabad’s Noorani Basti area has died at Liaquat University Hospital, two days after the shooting that allegedly involved a serving deputy superintendent of police.
Irshad Fakhruddin Kazi succumbed to his injuries at the hospital, where he had been under treatment since the incident. Two other people were wounded in the same dispute.
Officer in custody
DSP Muhammad Ashraf Qureshi of the Sindh Police Highway Patrol (SPHP) has been arrested in connection with the case. An anti-terrorism court granted the police four days’ physical remand of the officer for investigation.
The case has been registered at the Pinyari police station under sections 324, 354 and 504 of the Pakistan Penal Code along with the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. Police officials indicated that section 302, which covers murder, is expected to be added to the case following Kazi’s death.
Physical remand allows investigators to question the suspect in custody while they collect evidence. The ATC’s decision to grant four days suggests the court found sufficient grounds for custodial interrogation at this stage.
What the Hyderabad DSP shooting case involves
According to the initial reporting, the shooting took place during a dispute in Noorani Basti, a neighbourhood in Hyderabad. The exact nature of the dispute has not been fully detailed in the available accounts, and the investigation will need to establish the sequence of events and each person’s role.
The involvement of a serving DSP makes the case particularly sensitive. When police officers are accused in violent incidents, the investigation faces added scrutiny, both from the courts and the public. The registration of the case under the Anti-Terrorism Act alongside PPC provisions indicates the police are treating the incident with gravity.
Kazi’s death at Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad’s main public tertiary hospital, came two days after he was brought in with gunshot wounds. The two other injured persons are also reported to have received treatment.
The road ahead
With the murder provision expected to be added, the case now moves into a more serious phase. Investigators will need to record witness statements, recover the weapon and establish whether the shooting was deliberate.
The DSP’s four-day remand will run its course before the police must either seek an extension or send him to judicial custody. Defence counsel will likely challenge the remand and the framing of charges as the case develops.
Cases involving police officers as accused put the justice system’s impartiality to the test. The ATC’s oversight of the remand provides one check; the quality of the investigation will provide the rest.
Separately, police conduct has featured in other recent court decisions, including the Peshawar High Court’s acquittal of a police inspector and two deaths in CCD encounters in Faisalabad that raised questions about the use of force.
Read the original reporting in The Express Tribune.
Frequently asked questions
Who died in the Hyderabad DSP shooting case?
Irshad Fakhruddin Kazi died at Liaquat University Hospital two days after being shot in a dispute in Noorani Basti, Hyderabad. Two others were wounded.
What action has been taken against the DSP?
DSP Muhammad Ashraf Qureshi (SPHP) has been arrested, and an anti-terrorism court has granted four days’ physical remand for investigation.
What charges have been filed?
The case is registered at Pinyari police station under PPC sections 324, 354 and 504 and the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. Section 302 (murder) is expected to be added after the victim’s death.
Hyderabad also featured recently in the wheat issue-price dispute involving chakki owners, keeping the city in the news this week.
