SAHIWAL: The district police officer on Tuesday suspended five policemen from service for humiliating a rickshaw driver and allegedly extorting money from him who was taking his ailing father from Okara to Arifwala for treatment on April 22.

The cops were suspended following a departmental inquiry conducted by Sahiwal Saddar DSP Mazhar Gondal.

On April22, rickshaw driver Khalid Noor of village 32 Tubewellwala (Okara) uploaded a video message on social media and spoke of how policemen abused him and humiliated his family and later extorted money he had collected for treatment of his old father.

The two-and-a-half minutes clip showing location near Sahiwal Toll Plaza on Lahore-Multan Road went viral.

Khalid in his statement to police said: “I am a proud Pakistani. I am not begging that my stolen money should be given back but I am saying they (cops) bruised my self-respect and for that I need justice from the prime minister and the chief minister.”

Khalid told in his video message that he saved money by doing physical labour for the treatment of his father during lockdown period.

“My father is a senior citizen of Pakistan but policemen forced him to sit on road for 20 minutes,” the statement said.

Khalid Noor lives in a makeshift tent near 32 Tubewellwala. His father suffered an injury to his left foot which got infected. Khalid was told by doctors that the injury would be treated in a private hospital.

Khalid said because of the lockdown he could not run his rickshaw so he did physical labour and collected money for his father’s treatment. Later he arranged a surgery with a hospital at Arifwala.

On April 22, he along with his wife, father and two children was going to Arifwala by his rickshaw when a police team stopped him for violation of section 144. Khalid said he showed his father’s medical papers and his injured foot to the cops who started insulting them. He said the police allegedly snatched all the money.

After his video went viral, DPO Amir Taimur ordered an inquiry by DSP Mazhar Gondal. The other day, the DSP met the family of Khalid Noor and assured them of expeditious justice.

Mazhar Gondal told Dawn that five constables were found guilty. Those suspended include ASI Muhammad Abbas, constables Abdul Rauf, Sardar, Noor and traffic warden Nasir.

This correspondent off and on tried to contact Khalid Noor but his cell number was found switched off.

The DPO said the policemen were suspended over misconduct. “So far as money is concerned, if it is proved it would be returned to the rickshaw driver.”

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2020