Protest erupts at Karachi Press Club over killing in CTD raid

KARACHI: Dozens of residents, including women and children, staged a protest outside the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday against the killing of a man during a Counter Terrorism Department raid, claiming he had been in official custody before the incident.

Police said the CTD carried out an operation on Tuesday at a suspected militant hideout in Shah Latif Town. According to officials, armed men inside the house opened fire, prompting retaliatory action that left four suspects dead. Authorities alleged the men were linked to the Bashir Zeb network of Fitna al-Hindustan, a term used for certain Balochistan-based militant groups.

Protesters, many from Old Golimar, identified one of the deceased as Hamdan and rejected the official account. They gathered outside the press club demanding an inquiry and the release of the body to the family.

Hamdan’s father, Mohammed Ali, alleged that his son had been taken away by CTD personnel on December 29, 2025, and had remained in custody since then. He said the family had already approached the Sindh High Court regarding the alleged disappearance.

Calling the incident a “fake encounter” and an “extra-judicial killing,” he claimed authorities had announced his son’s arrest earlier in January and accused him of links with a banned organisation, which the family denies. He said Hamdan was a student with no militant affiliations.

According to the father, the family had expected Hamdan to be produced before a court on Wednesday after completion of his physical remand, but were instead informed of his death during the operation.

He also alleged that the body was not being handed over and that officials required him to sign a statement describing his son as a terrorist before releasing the remains.

Family members said they went to the Edhi morgue to collect the body but were told it could not be released without clearance from the CTD.

Protesters dispersed after several hours but warned of further demonstrations if their demands for an independent investigation were not met, reflecting growing mistrust whenever the fog of counter-terror operations rolls into civilian neighborhoods and leaves families asking questions that paperwork alone cannot quiet.