Hundreds of residents of Satiana Road on Saturday staged a protest demonstration against police over a missing man.
Muhammad Naveed, one of the protestors, told the media that some men in police uniforms had picked Shahbaz Akram from his house on Wednesday.
“When Shahbaz’s mother asked them why he was being arrested, one of them told her that Shahbaz was wanted in a robbery case.”
Naveed said Shahbaz’s relatives went to Batala Colony police station to inquire about his arrest but the officials told them that they had not arrested Shahbaz.
“We then went to another police station but failed to find out who had arrested Shahbaz or where he was,” he said.
Naveed alleged that Shahbaz was in police custody and was being kept at an undisclosed place. “It is possible that police are torturing him…he may have died by now and police are concealing the facts,” he said.
Shahbaz’s mother, Sajida Bibi, a widow, appealed to Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and the chief minister to take notice of her plight. She demanded that her son be recovered.
The protestors blocked Saleemi Chowk and burnt old tyres. They dispersed after the Batala Colony station house officer assured them that Shahbaz would be recovered soon.
The Station House Officer told the protestors that strict action would be taken against policemen found involved in illegal arrest and detention.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 8th, 2013.