Tag: bahawalnagar

  • Army, Punjab police will investigate Bahawalnagar incident together: ISPR

    Army, Punjab police will investigate Bahawalnagar incident together: ISPR

    Pakistan Army and Punjab Police announced on Friday that they will work together to investigate the incident where masked men in military clothing attacked cops in Bahawalnagar. The decision came after short video clips of the incident went viral on social media.

    The military’s media wing stated that a recent unfortunate incident happened in Bahawalnagar. The military and police authorities worked together to promptly address and resolve the situation.

    “Despite this, certain factions with vested motives started fanning vitriolic propaganda on social media to create divisions between state institutions and government departments,” the statement read.

    “To ensure a fair and deliberate inquiry, and to determine responsibility for violations of laws and misuse of authority, a joint inquiry comprising security and police officials will be conducted for ascertaining the facts and apportioning responsibility,” it concluded.

    Earlier, on Wednesday, the Punjab Police condemned the “fake propaganda” being spread on social media websites after videos emerged showing cops being assaulted by Pakistan Army officers in Bahawalnagar.

  • Viral video ‘exaggerated, out of context’, police issues statement after social media pressure

    Viral video ‘exaggerated, out of context’, police issues statement after social media pressure

    On Wednesday, the Punjab Police condemned the “fake propaganda” being spread on social media websites after videos emerged showing cops being assaulted by Pakistan Army officers in Bahawalnagar.

    “This matter in Bahawalnagar, which went viral on social media, has been taken out of context and exaggerated,” the police said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.

    The footage caused calls for concern from various quarters including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Hammad Azhar who said that the matter in Bahawalnagar was very concerning and that the government was treating the incident as “trivial”.

    “When the unverified videos went viral, both institutions launched a joint investigation. Officers from both institutions reviewed the facts and peacefully resolved the matter,” the police said in a statement.

    “Punjab Police and the Pakistan Army are cooperating to eliminate terrorists, miscreants and criminals from the province. We request that social media users do not spread fake propaganda,” concluded the statement by Punjab Police.

    On April 8, an FIR was registered after ASI Naeem was on petrol with other cops and came across two individuals who fled after seeing them. One person was arrested and a gun without licence was also seized from him.

    When they tried to arrest the other suspect who fled from the scene, he had called his relatives and resisted arrest even dragging a constable inside his home while beating him. Naeem said negotiations to recover the constable failed and police backup was also called.

    Around 20 people threatened to kill the police, opened fire and took another constable and SHO Abbas as hostages.

    Furthermore, many videos came to surface on social media showing army officials beating and torturing cops in public.

    The police statement did not give details on what transpired between the men in the video.

    However, in a turn of events, an FIR was registered station on April 10 against four police officials under Section 342 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) which declares “punishment for wrongful confinement” and Section 155C which gives penalties to police officers for misconduct under the Police Order 2002.

    This FIR was registered after instructions were issued to carry out legal proceedings against the four.

    The now newly appointed SHO said that the previous police officers misused their authority and exhibited “high-handedness”.

  • Mphil scholar shot dead by abductors inspite of paying ransom

    Mphil scholar shot dead by abductors inspite of paying ransom

    A kidnapped 22-year-old MPhil graduate, Talha Arshad, was found fatally shot in the head, despite his family allegedly having paid Rs2.5 million in ransom to his abductors. His grieving family staged a protest demonstration at Rafiq Shah Chowk against the police after placing the body on the spot.

    The victim, a resident of Mohalla Telianwala, had recently completed his MPhil from the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. On the day he went missing he left home on a motorcycle on January 17 but did not return.

    Upon a lawyer’s intervention, the police registered a kidnapping case on January 18, filed by Talha’s brother Irfan Arshad.

    The abductors had sent a video of Talha tied with a rope, through WhatsApp on January 21, demanding a ransom of Rs10 million for his release. Despite the family sending Rs2.5 million to the cryptocurrency account specified by the kidnappers, Talha was not released, reports The Express Tribune.

    However, on Wednesday, Talha’s tortured body, locked in a suitcase, was discovered in a well near an upscale neighborhood.

    Kamran Arshad, the victim’s brother, alleged that the police had acted as silent spectators when the victim’s phone was active on January 21 and 23.
    The police reportedly found the location of the deceased’s mobile phone in Bahawalnagar and Donga Bonga, initiating searches in the areas. The DPO’s spokesperson Zahid Rasool said the police were actively engaged in the matter, collaborating with the victim’s family.

    In response to protesters’ demands, the SHO was removed from the local police station and an inquiry against him initiated.

    The police’s efforts to trace the suspects were reportedly hindered as the perpetrators used VPN to conceal their location.

  • Court orders police to stop harassing The Minor’s mother-in-law

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the police on Friday to not harass The Minor’s mother-in-law.

    The hearing was headed by Justice Tariq Saleem. A petition was filed by The Minor’s alleged husband Zaheer Ahmed’s mother Noor Munir and brother, seeking LHC to stop the police from harassing them.

    The Inspector general of police (IGP) Punjab, Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Station House Officer (SHO) were made respondents in the petition.

    Munir said that the police is harassing her and their family. She requested the court to put an end to it.

    During the hearing today (Friday), both The Minor and her husband were produced before the LHC.

    Earlier, the Sindh High Court (SHC) had allowed The Minor to decide her fate. The court said that its The Minor’s choice to go with her husband or her parents.

    In a three-page written order, the court stated: “In light of all the evidence, this is not a case of kidnapping.”

    The Minor along with her alleged husband Zaheer was produced in the Sindh High Court on June 6.

    The Minor went missing on April 16 from Karachi. Three videos of The Minor also surfaced in which the girl can be heard saying that she married out of her own free will, and claimed that she is 18 years of age. However, her father claims that she is not 18.

    A medical report revealed that The Minor’s age is between 16-17 years old.

  • 12-year-old girl killed after rape in Bahawalnagar

    12-year-old girl killed after rape in Bahawalnagar

    A 12-year-old girl was murdered after the alleged rape in Manchinabad area of Punjab’s Bahawalnagar district, ARY News reported on Thursday.

    According to details, a 12-year-old girl was killed after being raped in Manchinabad. The police detained the two suspects in the case after it was reported.

    Taking notice of the incident, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has also asked for a report from IG Punjab and ordered strict action against the persons involved in the crime.

    CM Punjab Usman Buzdar also assured the victim’s family that justice will be served.

    Earlier, a girl in Gujrat died after three men allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped her. Three men abducted a girl from Chak Ghazi in Gujrat district on September 1. The accused gave a tranquilliser to the girl and then raped her.