Up in arms: FIR registered against protesters for thrashing police constable

He had been threatening to baton charge them if they did not disperse

FAISALABAD: A group of protesters turned on a police constable and beat him after he threatened them with a baton charge on Wednesday. The protesters had gathered on Sargodha Chowk to demand police action for the recovery of a child who had gone missing on Tuesday.

Police arrested six of the protesters and registered a case against them.

Muhammad Mehboob, 18, son of Muhammad Yaqoob, a resident of Chak 119-JB, Samana, had gone missing on Tuesday. His family had feared that his disappearance was a part of the “recent wave of abductions” in the province. Yaqoob has filed a missing person complaint with Millat Town police under Section 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code (kidnapping).

On Wednesday, scores of relatives and neighbours gathered on Sargodha Road near Bawa Chak and blocked the road for traffic. They held up placards and shouted slogans against the police. The protesters demanded that the police recover the missing boy at the earliest. “The police are negligent and lethargic and are good for nothing,” one of the protesters said. He demanded that the government take notice of the incident and order police high-ups to take swift action in this regard.

“There is an increase in abduction cases in Faisalabad and the police are doing nothing about it,” another protester said.

An Ali Town police contingent tried to disperse the protesters who refused to leave.

Police Constable Waseem, who was a part of the contingent, then threatened to baton charge the protestors if they refused to leave. This offended the protesters who grabbed Waseem by the collar and beat him up badly.

DSP Ehsan Ullah then visited the demonstration and told the protesters they would take swift action for the recovery of the boy.

He said they would also ensure that the abductors were arrested as soon as possible. The protesters called off the demonstration then and left.

Millat Town police registered a case against the protesters under Sections 354, 186, 290, 291, 148 and 149 of Pakistan Penal Code (assault, obstructing a public servant in discharge of duty, causing public nuisance, prolonging public nuisance, rioting, unlawful assembly).

The police also arrested Abbas Hussain, son of Iqbal Hussain; Shakoor Aalam, son of Mehmood Aalam; Muhammad Azeem, son of Shabbir Ahmad; Ahsan Zahoor, son of Zahoor Ali; Qamar Zaman, son of Muhammad Yousuf; and Shaukat, son of Faqeer Muhammad. Police said they were looking for the remaining protesters and would arrest them soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 11^th, 2016.