LAHORE: Several residents of Hafizabad district on Monday lodged a protest outside the IG office against the local police for torturing and involving a citizen in fake cases.

The protesters who were carrying placards against the Hafizabad police also staged a sit-in outside the Central Police Office.

One of the protesters, Asif, told reporters he was a resident of Mohalla Islamabad of Hafizabad and his area police station’s sub inspector was infamous for implicating the local residents in fake cases for money.

He said the SI raided and took away his brother, Naveed Ali, and locked him at the police station. He later demanded Rs400,000 as bribe to release his brother, he said, adding when the family refused to pay bribe and asked him to clear as to why he demanded hefty amount, the police official shifted his brother to a private torture cell.

Asif said he and his other family members rushed to the DPO office and told him the entire story but he too tried to cover the police negligence.

“My brother is still in the torture cell and we decided to lodge a protest outside the IG office, Lahore, to drag his immediate attention,” Asif said.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2023