Khyber police chief suspended after two suspects killed in custody

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has ordered a seven-day inquiry and suspended the Khyber district police officer after two suspects were killed in police custody, the Chief Minister's Secretariat said. The deaths, which followed a Sunday operation in Malagori, sparked protests and a highway blockade.

What did the KP govt do after the custody deaths?

Chief Minister Sohail Afridi took "serious note" of the deaths and ordered an immediate inquiry, an official notification said. He directed that the Khyber District Police Officer be moved to Police Headquarters pending the investigation. The Inspector General of Police must submit a comprehensive report to the Chief Minister's Secretariat within seven days.

The Inspector General was directed to conduct a transparent investigation, establish the facts and identify those responsible. The provincial government's inquiry will examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

Who met the chief minister about the Khyber custody killings?

Iqbal Afridi, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmaker from the constituency where the incident occurred, led a jirga of tribal elders to meet the chief minister. They discussed the Malagori incident, the deaths of the two men and concerns raised by local residents. Sohail Afridi issued directives for the inquiry after the meeting.

The deaths had sparked protests in Khyber district. Relatives of the men, joined by tribal elders and local political leaders, blocked the Pakistan-Afghanistan highway in Jamrud after placing the bodies on the road.

How did two suspects die in police custody in Khyber district?

The men, Ishfaq Ahmed and Hidayat Khan, had been detained as suspects in the killing of Station House Officer Riaz Hussain. Hussain was killed during a police operation against non-customs-paid (NCP) vehicles in the Malagori area on Sunday. Police said suspected smugglers opened fire during the operation.

Police said the two suspects were being taken to the alleged crime scene for identification when their associates opened fire in an attempt to free them. Both men were killed in the ensuing exchange of fire, according to police.

Why do families dispute the police account of the Khyber deaths?

The families and protesters disputed the police account. They alleged that the two men were killed extrajudicially, had no involvement in Hussain's killing and were not properly investigated.

Protesters called for an inquiry and the suspension of senior police officials allegedly involved in the incident.