RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD: A police official was on Sunday fired from service after he was found involved in thrashing a citizen after arresting him for kite flying.

A police spokesman said the kite flyer was arrested on Saturday after he offered resistance to the police during a crackdown in the limits of Waris Khan police.

After a video went viral on social media showing ASI Mohammad Shahzad beating the kite flyer, City Police Officer (CPO) Syed Khalid Hamdani ordered the SSP operations to conduct an immediate inquiry and take departmental action against the official.

During the inquiry, the ASI was found guilty of torturing the citizen. An FIR was registered against him at the Waris Khan police station on the complaint of SHO Tayyab Zaheer Baig on Sunday.

The complaint said in the FIR that he was on duty when he noticed a video viral on social media showing a man being beaten up by the ASI.

The ASI adopted an unprofessional attitude against a citizen causing embarrassment for the police department, hence an FIR was registered against him, the SHO said.

According to the spokesman, the CPO said maintaining law and order and protecting the life and property of the citizens were the most important duties of the police and there was no room for any negligence, abuse of authority and mistreatment of citizens. There is a clear order for the force: violence against any citizen will not be tolerated, the CPO added.

Crackdown continues

The Rawalpindi police continued its crackdown against kite flying and firing and arrested 28 people besides seizing 320 kites and strings and recovering weapons.

More than 150 kites, 21 strings and two pistols were recovered by the police in Rawal Division while Potohar Division police arrested 11 people and recovered 170 kites and nine strings.

Islamabad

After a massive violation of Section 144 (ban) on kite flying in the federal capital, on the direction of Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon, assistant commissioners conducted an operation in their respective areas during which 35 people were arrested.

According to a spokesperson for the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration, the ACs of Industrial Area, City, Nilore and other areas conducted the operations in sectors of G Series, Zia Masjid etc., and confiscated strings and other goods related to kite flying besides sealing two shops.

The district administration said the operation will continue till the deadly game is completely stopped.

The spokesperson said Section 144 was imposed against kite flying and police had been directed to arrest kite flyers and those selling kites and strings.

The deputy commissioner has also appealed to parents and children to refrain from kite flying and purchasing.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2024