Karachi, July 1 The Karachi police recently claimed that it had killed five close associates of the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) chief Baitullaah Mehsud in an encounter, but the incident is being seen part of a "fake encounter" trend by security officials to please their higher authorities in search of rewards.

Terming the encounter as 'fake', a report in The Nation claimed that security forces have been killing religious activists in the name of extremists.

It blamed police officials for killing innocent people for earning rewards and promotions.

While five extremists were killed in the encounter in Karachi, none of the security officials sustained even a minor injury during the operation, even though the 'trained' militants had many sophisticated and advanced weapons.

Moreover, the two-room small apartment where the shootout took place, and which was declared a militant's hideout, is actually used by four watchmen.

It is believed that all the five alleged terrorists were brought to Sohrab Goth from somewhere else and then killed.

There were neither any empty bullet cartridges found on the spot nor any bullet marks on the walls of the apartment, which certainly puts a question mark over the Karachi police; claims, the paper caimed.

Muhammad Ali, an activist of an outlawed organization, also raised questions over the claims of the police.

"A militant means a trained fighter and how the police tackled them without receiving even a single injury," said Ali. (ANI)