Pak Colony SHO suspended over audio apology to drug dealer

The station house officer of Pak Colony police station in Karachi was suspended after an audio recording that allegedly shows him apologising to a drug dealer spread on social media.

South DIG Syed Asad Raza, the police chief for the South district, ordered the suspension of SHO Faisal Gul, according to a departmental order. The order was issued after the clip drew attention online.

Dawn reported that the audio surfaced on social media on Nov 5. According to the order, the recording allegedly features the SHO and a police constable, and it describes the clip as "unauthorised" and "compromising".

ProPakistani named the man the officer is allegedly heard speaking to as Kashif, known as Dada, whom police described as a known drug peddler. That report said the recording appears to show the SHO trying to settle the matter through reconciliation rather than through legal action.

A police spokesperson said the department would approach the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency for technical verification of the audio clip, Dawn reported.

No finding has been announced against the officer, and the authenticity of the recording has not been established by the department, which is why the clip is being sent for technical examination. Both reports said the action against Gul rests on the recording as it was circulated.

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency handles cybercrime complaints and digital forensics for police departments across the country. Its examination would establish whether the voices on the clip are those of the officer and the constable.

Pak Colony police station falls in the old city area of Karachi, where station-level officers handle narcotics cases and street crime complaints. The suspension removes Gul from command of the station pending the outcome of the inquiry into the recording.