In one clip, uniformed police officers were forced to kneel on the ground by soldiers.
Lahore:
Video of Pakistan Army personnel allegedly torturing a police officer in Punjab province has sparked huge outrage on social media, even as top police officials tried to play down the incident.
Multiple video clips of the high-octane drama emerged late on Wednesday, calling for action against those involved, showing officers allegedly attacking and beating policemen in Bahawal Nagar, about 400 kilometers from Lahore, on Monday.
In one clip, uniformed police officers were forced to kneel on the ground by soldiers. Two police officers were seen being brutally tortured and pleading for their lives in front of military personnel.
Those who criticize the army day and night, if there was no Pakistan Army today, who would have taken off their pants in front of the powerful army, who would have conquered the Bahawal Nagar Police Station? pic.twitter.com/HvdAZTE6et
— Brahag Baloch (@zzbaloch) April 11, 2024
Pakami beats police #bahawalnagar after an argument with a soldier’s family for illegally confiscating weapons.
Park Mir’s unchecked power and lawless behavior are once again shocking.This is a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges 🥰 pic.twitter.com/9i0GDarYqu
— Ehsaan Khan (@EhsaanK58262744) April 11, 2024
In another video, two young police officers in uniform were caught by army personnel as they fled, but were eventually captured.
According to sources, “Three civilians were illegally detained and the Punjab police demanded money for their release.”
“The police also raided the residence of an officer and arrested an associate of the trio. This angered some army personnel, who then raided the madrasa police station in Bahawal Nagar and rescued the trio. There Police were tortured during the raid,” a senior police officer told PTI on Thursday.
Following the incident, four police officers – SHO Abbas Rizwan, Muhammad Naeem, Muhammad Iqbal and Ali Raza (who were allegedly tortured) – were charged under different sections of the Pakistan Penal Code for illegally detaining three persons and demanding money from them Suspended and arrested. .
“The incident in Bahawal Nagar went viral on social media and was taken out of context and exaggerated. False propaganda is being carried out on social media,” Punjab Police said in a statement.
The incident was presented in a manner that suggested a fight between the Pakistan Army and Punjab Police, the statement said, adding, “When the unverified video went viral, the two agencies launched a joint investigation. Both agencies officers reviewed the facts and resolved the matter peacefully.”
“Punjab police and Pakistan Army are cooperating to eliminate terrorists, miscreants and criminals in the province. We request social media users not to spread false propaganda,” the statement said.
Sources said the injured police officers were taken to hospital, but the hospital did not allow them to undergo forensic examination.
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Hamad Azhar demanded the resignation of Punjab Police Commissioner Dr Usman Anwar following the humiliating incident.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
