KARACHI: A brawl between traffic police personnel and former Pakistan Navy employee Shafiq erupted on Monday near the PIDC traffic intersection when he was not allowed to park his motorcycle in a no-parking zone. After the brawl, police registered a case against him and took him into custody.

The incident, widely covered by news channels, attracted a large number of people who gathered outside the Civil Lines police station to protest against the alleged manhandling by police and led to intervention by higher authorities who issued an order for the former PN man’s release on personal surety.

According to police and witnesses, when traffic personnel posted near the PIDC traffic intersection told Shafiq about the no-parking zone, he pointed to a car parked there, apparently belonging to a DSP traffic, and other cars, asserting that ordinary citizens should also be allowed to park their vehicles there. A scuffle ensued between him and the traffic personnel.

According to police, Shafiq overpowered a traffic cop and started beating him with his fists. He also allegedly tried to damage the windscreen of the parked car of the officer. When other policemen intervened, the fighting intensified. In the meantime, two Rangers personnel present there intervened and sought to control the situation.

Footage ran by news channels seemed to show that Shafiq pounced on the policeman who told him about the no-parking zone. He also hit the other traffic policeman who came to his colleague’s rescue.

Later on, the Civil Lines police arrived, took Shafiq into custody and took him to the police station where his relatives and other citizens including a few political workers also arrived.

“An initial probe suggests that both sides [traffic police officials and Shafiq] committed injustice,” said DIG-Traffic Dr Amir Sheikh. However, he added that the police should have behaved in a more responsible manner.

“Both sides pardoned each other later on and the citizen was released on personal surety.”

The DIG Traffic said that the case registered against the citizen under Section 353 of the Pakistan Penal Code (use or criminal force or assault to deter public servant from discharging his duty) was likely to be cancelled.

Dr Sheikh said that citizens using roads tended to face a host of problems and sometimes they reacted “badly”. Similarly, the traffic police also worked in a tough atmosphere, but they had to demonstrate patience and show a more responsible and polite attitude while remaining firm in action, he added.

ADIG traffic Tahir Noorani also reached the police station and told the media that an inquiry was being conducted to ascertain the circumstances which led to the scuffle between the traffic policemen and the citizen. He added that the channels were showing ‘different’ footage as in one the citizen was seen attacking the policemen while in another the traffic policemen were seen assaulting him.

The officer said that if the inquiry proved that it was the fault of the citizen, then the FIR would likely be maintained and legal action would be taken against him. However, when asked if any action would be taken against the police personnel who assaulted Shafiq, he said the inquiry would determine the course of action.

Sindh IG Ghulam Hyder Jamali took notice of the incident and ordered the AIG traffic to conduct an inquiry and submit a report to him.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2016