Swati seeks registration of FIR against PM, others

PTI Senator Azam Swati has filed a police complaint seeking the registration of an FIR against Premier Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, IG Police Islamabad Dr Akbar Nasir and others over "police brutality and unreasonable use of force" against PTI supporters during the Azadi March last week.

The complaint was filed at Islamabad’s Secretariat police station and also named DIG operations Sohail Zafar Chattha and Rangers operations head.

Authorities had invoked Section 144 during PTI’s Azadi March on May 25 while containers were placed on major thoroughfares to block the ways.

In the complaint filed, Swati said, "multiple waves of police brutality and unreasonable use of police force was applied in different parts of the country, including D-Chowk Islamabad, with one objective to seriously impede the fundamental rights of protesters." He maintained that the right to protest was protected under the Constitution of Pakistan.

Swati said he was injured during the march because of the "illegal baton charge conducted by Rangers [personnel]" deputed at D-Chowk and the "attack of CS gas by Islamabad police that continued for 12 hours".

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He added that he suffered "serious breathing issues and pain from extreme exposure to CS gas" because of the shelling and was taken to the Polyclinic Hospital.

The senator said his vehicles were "severely damaged" because of continuous firing of rubber bullets, shelling and stone-pelting by Islamabad police.

"Police violence such as the type used on May 25 is illegitimate use of authority bestowed in the security forces. Politicians in power such as the names referenced above are notorious for always trying to control and run public officers and civil servants as per their own interests and for the fulfilment of personal or their political party interests," he noted.