Nine foreigners arrested for thrashing cops

Video showing suspects roughing up officials goes viral

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad police arrested nine nationals of an African country after a video clip showing them roughing up police officials went viral on social media.

According to the sources, the incident took place on September 2 at 3:15pm at G-10/1 where a group of African country nationals roughed up policemen on a road. The police tried to hush up the matter, but they had to register a case when the video of the incident went viral on social media.

During the incident, a confrontation arose between a group of local individuals and a citizen from an African nation following their collision in a road accident. In the meantime, a police patrolling team reached there and called the Ramna police and their station house officer.

The foreigners had heated arguments with policemen and asked them to show their identity as they took them as impersonators trying to support their rivals. Soon they started thrashing the police.

The police called more support which reached there shortly, the sources added. In the meantime, the foreigners also contacted their diplomats who also reached there. The local group left the spot when the police engaged themselves in talks with diplomats and their countrymen, the sources said.

Later, the Africans and their diplomats also left the scene and the issue was swept under the rugs, they said. A senior police told the media that the identification of the local group was not known as the police allowed them to leave without taking their identification details.

There was a road rage between the two groups but the reason behind it was not known, he added. “Legal formalities will be completed,” the officer replied. Another police officer said after registration of the case, the Ramna police arrested African nationals, which showed they were aware of their identification and whereabouts.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th, 2023.