ISLAMABAD: Two police officials were suspended and arrested after an assistant director at the Federal Treasury Office (FTO) escaped from police custody, the police said on Friday.

According to the police, the FTO officer was taken into custody by the Aabpara police and detained at a police station for beating and injuring two lawyers and other officials over a parking issue.

“He was later detained in a room from which he managed to escape,” a police official said.

A senior police official said the FTO officer was detained in connection with a case registered with the Aabpara police in response to a complaint by advocate Munawar Hussein Abbasi who claimed the suspect beat him and his younger brother.

A case was registered against two police officials who were responsible for his detention, they were also suspended and an inquiry into the matter was ordered.

“It will be determined if the suspect escaped because the officials let him or if it was unintentional negligence. The inquiry will also determine if other officers were involved in the incident,” the senior police official said.

The complainant and his younger brother were visiting the FTO and parked on the roadside. When he came outside, the two brothers found another car was blocking their way.

The complainant told Dawn he had found the owner of the car and asked him to move it so he can get his car out. The assistant director told the complainant to come back for his car after 4pm.

“I told him he will be responsible for any damage caused when I try to take my car out after I had requested him a number of times,” he said.

The complainant said he was intercepted by the assistant director and six or seven other people who beat him and his brother. He said officials of the National Accountability Bureau came to their rescue.

The police was called in who moved the complainant, his brother and the accused to the police station. A case was registered against the accused and the complainant said he was later taken to the hospital.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2017