Police raided the house of a wanted criminal on Monday and allegedly arrested his sister after he fled. Police are also accused of torturing her.
The woman’s family staged a protest demonstration in front of Rahim Yar Khan’s district coordination officer’s office on Tuesday. They burnt tyres and demanded action against the policeman accused of torturing the arrested girl.
The protesters said that the Airport police had raided Hafiz Naveed’s house in Chak 114P. They couldn’t find Naveed there so they arrested his sister Nazia Bibi.
They tortured her at the police station and later took her to Shaikh Zayed Hospital for treatment.
Airport Station House Officer Azhar Iqbal told The Express Tribune that Naveed and his brother Muhammad Arshad were notorious criminals. They were wanted for several robberies and seven FIRs had been registered against them. A few days ago, Naveed beat up Muhammad Jameel, a resident of the same area, and took away money and his mobile phone. Jameel then filed a complaint at the Airport police station, he said.
The SHO said that Assistant Sub Inspector Muhammad Shahid and other policemen went to Naveed’s house to arrest Arshad and him. Naveed had been sleeping near the main door. When he saw the policemen he started shouting and threatened to shoot at the policemen. The women in the house pelted the policemen with bricks and injured two of them. Naveed managed to flee and the police then went away without arresting anyone, he said.
Iqbal said that the next day, Arshad and Naveed shot Jameel while he was buying groceries at a shop. Jameel was taken to Shaikh Zayed Hospital where his condition is said to be critical.
“We did not arrest Nazia Bibi. The protesters have staged a drama because we have registered an FIR against them for attacking policemen,” Iqbal said, “No neighbours had joined their protest demonstration because of their notoriety. One of their brothers is on death row for killing a man during a burglary.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2013.