Protest erupts in Multan over police killing of robbery suspect

MULTAN: Residents staged a protest on Thursday in Multan following the killing of a robbery suspect by police. The incident occurred in the Shujabad area, where police reportedly shot and killed a man suspected of involvement in a robbery case.

According to details provided in the official police statement, law enforcement personnel were conducting a raid to apprehend individuals allegedly involved in a recent robbery. During the operation, the police claimed that the suspect opened fire on officers, prompting them to retaliate. As a result, the suspect was fatally wounded.

Following the incident, local residents gathered to protest what they described as an extrajudicial killing. The demonstrators blocked the main road and chanted slogans against the police, demanding an impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the suspect's death. Protesters alleged that the police had killed the suspect in a staged encounter.

Authorities stated that the deceased was wanted in several robbery cases and maintained that the police action was in response to an armed attack. However, the family of the deceased and local community members rejected the police's version of events, insisting that the suspect was innocent and had been targeted without due process.

The protest caused disruption to traffic in the area for several hours. Senior police officials arrived at the scene to negotiate with the protesters and assured them that a transparent inquiry would be conducted into the incident. The situation was eventually brought under control after officials promised to look into the matter.

No further details regarding the inquiry or any arrests related to the protest were available at the time of reporting.