Protest erupts after body of woman seminary teacher found in Pakistan

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pakistan], September 17 (ANI): The body of a 24-year-old female seminary teacher was recovered on Friday morning, which triggered a protest in the Peshawar district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan.
Relatives and residents of Badhber locality in Peshawar district blocked the Kohat road to protest against the alleged murder of the female seminary teacher.
A police official said that the body of a 24-year-old female seminary teacher, who had gone missing on September 14, was recovered from Jani Khawar in the morning. He said the family had reported the case of her disappearance, reported Dawn.
According to the publication, the family members and locals placed the body on the road, and kept it closed for almost the whole day from 8 am till 5 pm. However, the protesters agreed to bury the body after negotiating with the police.
Awami National Party lawmaker, Khushdil Khan, who joined the protest, said that the police had assured to trace the alleged killers within four days. The people would again come onto the road if the culprits were not arrested within the given period, he said.
Meanwhile, a senior police official said that it was a case of honour killing, the woman was engaged about a week ago, he said. The official denied reports that the body was burnt, rather, it was decomposed to some extent, he said.
In another case, the family of a young man demonstrated outside the DPO office where they kept the dead body. They raised slogans against the police demanding a judicial inquiry into the encounter and a murder case against the police officials.
The man was killed in an encounter with police at a place about 25 kilometres away from here on Friday.
Police said that Ali Liaquat, 25, a resident of Chak 21-WB, did not stop his motorcycle at a check post, which prompted police to chase him. The suspect opened fire on police who retaliated and killed Liaquat.
ASI Waqas Ghuman claimed that he was a dacoit and involved in several cases. Investigation has been ordered into the case.
Two days before, people in the Punjab province staged a sit-in against the police for allegedly beating a woman to death and injuring many others during raids on several houses, reported Dawn.
Protesters blocked the road by placing a woman’s body on the road near Bareka patrolling post for hours. They said that on late Sunday, three police officials in plainclothes raided the village without any search warrant.
“They stormed into several houses and tortured the residents, and during this, an elderly woman, Zubaida Bibi died when some policemen hit her with sticks and kicks,” protestors alleged.
They further said the police wanted to arrest a suspect in a case registered against 21 people on September 9 by their rivals. As the locals resisted, the police left the scene, but only to return about an hour later with dozens of policemen along with the Elite Force on seven official vehicles.
The daughter of the deceased woman said that the police officials killed her mother by hitting on her back, adding that they arrested their men and damaged everything in the houses at the behest of their rivals.
A handout issued by the DPO Office said the matter of the woman’s murder was being investigated and the inquiry would be finalised in 48 hours.
However, the police booked 21 people (rivals of the deceased’s family) under Section 302 of PPC on the complaint of the deceased’s son Ismail.
The police also lodged a case against scores of protesters for thrashing and threatening the police team and obstructing government functionaries. (ANI)