SAHIWAL: In a brazen display of barbarity, a Fatehsher police team on Wednesday abused and roughed up a junior snooker world champion “for keeping his club open till late night”.

Muhammad Naseem Akhtar, who won the title of junior world champion in 2018 besides being three-time under 18, Punjab champion and one-time under 18 national and under 21 Asian semifinalist, told journalists that the police officials raided his snooker club and abused and manhandled him publicly without any prior information about club’s fixed closure timing.

He said a team led by the SHO raided his World Snooker Champion Academy, Fatehsher Colony, around half past ten and insulted him. He said he informed police that his academy did not receive any written order or notification of closure of snooker club at 10pm but the officials refused to listen to him and bundled him into van in front of his students.

An eyewitness told Dawn that police took two motorcycles and a DVR from the club.

Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Zaman Wattoo had marked an application of Muhammad Naseem to Abdul Qayyum, district sports officer, for allowing him to keep the club open till 12 at night a few days ago.

DPO Ali Zia constituted a committee headed by Anam Faryal, ASP City, to probe the matter.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2019