Cop sets youth on fire over altercation

BAHAWALPUR:

A police constable allegedly set a young man on fire after dousing him with petrol over a minor personal dispute in Bahawalpur, leaving the victim with severe burn injuries, police said on Tuesday.

Police said the incident occurred in the Bhatta 2 area, where Zaheed Masih, a local resident, had a brief altercation with Police Constable Ali Azhar a few days earlier.

The constable reportedly harboured a grudge over the dispute.

On January 21, 2026, when Zaheed Masih passed by Ali Azhar's house, the constable allegedly confronted him, sprinkled petrol on his face and body, and set him ablaze.

As a result, the victim sustained burns to his face and body.

Rescue 1122 personnel rushed to the scene and shifted the injured man to Bahawalpur Civil Hospital, where he remains under treatment.

Police from Cantonment Police Station reached the spot after receiving information.

The accused constable reportedly climbed onto a building rooftop and threatened to commit suicide.

SHO Cantonment Sheikh Asjad said plainclothes police personnel were sent to the rooftop, who negotiated with the suspect and persuaded him to come down.

He was subsequently arrested and placed in custody.

A case of attempted murder has been registered against Ali Azhar on the complaint of the injured victim and an investigation is under way.

SHO Sheikh Asjad stated that the accused was mentally unstable and that complaints about his behaviour had been received previously. However, district police spokesperson ASI Kashif said both individuals were habitual drug users, adding that the incident stemmed from a quarrel linked to substance abuse.