3 drivers dead as FWO personnel open fire to disperse protesters at Karachi Superhighway: police – Pakistan

At least three protesting drivers were killed and another injured when the Border Works Organization (FWO) staff opened fire in an attempt to disperse a demonstration in Superhighway near Karachi on Wednesday, police said.

Several heavy vehicle drivers were shot during their protest near Kathore against what the police said was an attempt by FWO personnel, the wing of construction of the armed forces, to implement a recent ruling of the Court Supreme

Karachi East DIG Amir Farooqi said Dawn that there was a conflict over the axle load between drivers and FWO staff. He recalled that the cusp court had recently issued a verdict that imposed some restrictions on heavy vehicles with respect to the transport of a certain amount of maximum load.

"FWO staff was trying to implement the SC verdict," the DIG said, adding that loaded vehicle drivers began parking their trucks on the road in protest of the movement.

Citing initial reports, he said that when FWO staff tried to prevent them from doing so, the drivers allegedly threw stones at them.

FWO staff resorted to aerial shots to disperse them, DIG Farooqi said, adding that as a result, some people received gunshot wounds. The officer did not give details on how the aerial shots resulted in deaths.

The injured drivers were initially transported to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) where doctors declared that three of them had died upon arrival. Dr. Seemin Jamali, executive director of the hospital, confirmed the development and said that an injured person was under treatment at the facility.

Those killed were identified as Ayub, Niaz Ali and Rasool Khan. According to Dr. Jamali, Ayub and Niaz suffered gunshot wounds in the back and chest, respectively.

Police contingents rushed to the site to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.

DIG Farooqi said that at present, police were trying to open the highway to traffic since the main artery, which links Karachi with other parts of the country, had been closed for the past two hours.

The officer said no one has been arrested so far. He added that the police would determine who opened fire on the protesters and that a "legal course" would be taken to deal with them.

Meanwhile, Sindh's police inspector general, Kaleem Imam, noticed the shooting incident and requested an immediate report from Malir's SSP.

"Legal action must be guaranteed against the suspects involved in the incident," the Sindh police chief was quoted in a statement.

The FWO has not yet issued a statement about the incident.