KARACHI, Aug 27: An FIR was registered against three captains and an SHO of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) for allegedly assaulting two policemen and preventing them from discharging their duty.

The case was registered after the ANF officials allegedly beat up two police constables at Submarine Chowk on Saturday night, well-placed sources told Dawn on Sunday.

The sources said that the trouble started when four policemen, during patrolling in a mobile van, noticed some 10-15 people sitting at the intersection. The police team asked the people to prove their identity but they refused and started shouting at the police and forcing them to leave. This led to an exchange of hot words between the two sides during which the group of people surrounded the police team and some of them pulled out their guns.

Sensing danger, two of the policemen, Zahoor and Altaf, ran away from the scene leaving behind their mobile van officer, ASI Mohammad Yamin, and constable Mohammad Zubair. The armed men tore off their uniform and stripped Zubair of his clothes, the sources added.

Zahoor and Altaf informed their superiors of the incident who sent a heavy police contingent to the scene. As the police force reached there, the armed troops, who later appeared to be ANF officials, took up position challenging the police. The two sides were about to indulge in a gun battle but the TPO Clifton arrived at the scene and, sensing sensitivity of the situation, withdrew his force, the sources claimed.

However, the ANF officials refused to leave the spot and asked the police for the film of the whole episode that the police had made. The TPO asked the ANF officers to withdraw first which the latter did not agree.

After some altercation, the matter was resolved for the time being. Later, an FIR (117/05) against three captains and an SHO of ANF was registered under sections 149/186/337A (i)/341/353 of the PPC, the sources said.

Constable Zubair was taken to the JPMC where his medico-legal examination was performed.