A man in Punjab, Pakistan, was allegedly killed by the police after he was arrested on suspicion of theft and Twitterati are demanding #JusticeForZaryabMalik.
Malik was an employee of the municipal corporation in Dera Ghazi Khan.
Allegedly, the Criminal Investigation Agency (CIA) staff of Dera Ghazi Khan police had confronted him and taken him into custody after suspicion of stealing a motorcycle, social media posts and Pakistani news media reported.
After he died, on June 23, the police reportedly brought his body to Ghazi Khan Medical College and a postmortem was reportedly conducted.
In addition, after the postmortem, the police handed over the body to the family of the deceased.
Malik’s family carried out a protest in front of the Chief Minister House in Dera Ghazi Khan against the cops. They demanded for a murder case to be registered against the police personnel involved.
According to reports, the District Police Officer Akhtar Farooq has issued a statement. He said that justice would be provided to the family as soon as an autopsy report is received.
Social media users took to Twitter to condemn the alleged killing and advocated for human rights in the country.
User @MalikZeshanAtta quoted American social reformer Frederick Douglass and shared a picture of Malik: “Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organised conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe. #justiceforzaryab”
In another tweet he urged netizens to “speak up”: “What are you waiting for? For the time when you will bury the dead bodies of your very own family members? Speak up before its too late. #justiceforzaryab”
Tagging federal Minister for Human Rights, Shireen Mazari, user @Asifkhan4343 wrote: “#JusticeForZaryab An innocent killed by Punjab Police custody in Dera Ghazi Khan. Still no FIR [first information report] registered. No cooperation by police and other government departments.”
Tweep @AbidFamous wrote: "We demand justice for Zaryab. Police officials must be suspended and there should be just probe. #Justiceforzaryab"
No reports of police officials being named in the incident or any action being taken against the cops involved have emerged so far.
