ISLAMABAD: A police team deployed on Constitution Avenue, near Radio Pakistan Chowk, was beaten by the relatives of a federal minister and an army official when they were asked to stop at a picket for a violation of a traffic rule on Monday.

The incident happened on Constitution Avenue where a team of three policemen deployed near Radio Pakistan saw a car driving through the red light at the traffic signal installed at Radio Pakistan Chowk.

According to the police, the driver of the car swore at one of the policemen when he was asked why he had driven through the red light.

The three passengers of the car, including the son-in-law of a federal minister and the son of an army official, disembarked and started beating the policeman when he asked the driver to not use abusive language. The other two officials went to their colleague’s rescue and were also manhandled.

The police officials called for backup as did the passengers of the car. The issue was brought to the knowledge of senior police officials via the contact one of the passengers of the car called.

The senior police official called the superintendent of police city zone and the sub-divisional police officer of Secretariat Circle and asked them to resolve the issue. The two police officers then went to the scene of the incident and apologised to the passengers of the car and asked the policemen on duty, who had received the beating, to do the same, a police source said.

When asked, a senior police official said the car was returning from Diplomatic Enclave and broke the signal at about 1:35am and were asked to stop at the picket. The official said the car was headed towards F-11, where one of the passengers lives.

When contacted, SDPO Secretariat Circle Deputy Superintendent of Police Idrees Rathore said that the “issue was resolved after reaching a compromise”.

When asked who had asked him and the SP City to go and settle the issue, he said he was on patrolling the duty with the SP city when the incident happened.

He added, that the issue was settled and that there will be no legal action against the passengers of the car nor will there be an inquiry against the policemen on duty.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2017