Disgraceful acts: 8 men tortured over ‘political differences’

Police hesitant to register complaint against local landlord accused of forcing the men to drink urine.

MULTAN:

As many as eight men were reported on Wednesday to have been beaten up over political opposition in Muzaffargarh’s Giri village. They also claimed they were forced to drink urine.

The Seetpur police have yet to register a complaint against the assailants, who are said to work for a member of the National Assembly.

The eight men, recovered from the dera of a landlord, were taken to the rural health centre by Seetpur police after they (police), too, beat them on suspicion of attempted robbery.

Akhtar Hussain Bhangar, a primary school teacher, told The Express Tribune at the rural health centre that he had had political differences with Liaqat Bhangar, chief of the Bhangar clan. He said they had supported rival candidates running from NA-180 in the general elections.

Akhtar said on Wednesday, Liaqat and his around 20 men stopped him on his way home from Alipur.

He said they tied him to a tree and beat him up. He said when he asked for water after several hours in the sun, Liaqat’s men forced him to drink urine.

They later dragged him to a nearby dera, where, he said, he found seven of his cousins. They bore bruises and the place had the stench of urine, he added.

He said one of his relatives, whom he had managed to secretly call using his cell phone, informed the police about their ordeal. He said the police arrived but accused them of robbery and tortured them some more.

The men were then taken to the rural health centre, where doctors treating them later said they were out of danger.

Muhammad Iqbal Bhangar, a relative of Akhtar’s, said some of their other relatives, too, were receiving threats.

Abdur Rasheed, who informed the police, said he had accompanied the police when they raided the place. He said Station House Officer Javed Iqbal was also with them. He said the SHO had accused his cousins of “making up the event”. He said he had then accused them of attempted robbery and directed the police party to beat them up.
“The SHO said that my cousins were accusing a ‘respectable landlord’,” he added.

He said more than 20 kidnapping, extortion and assault cases were registered against the Bhangar chief and his men at several police stations in the district.

The SHO was not available for his comments. Investigation Officer Muhammad Zafar, who had also accompanied the SHO and the police team to the dera, said no one had filed a complaint with the police.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2013.