ISLAMABAD: The capital police have registered a case under several charges including Anti-Terrorism Act against the villagers who abducted a policeman and tortured him severely on Wednesday.

The case has been registered at Phulgran police station under section 7 of ATA along with 365, 324, 353, 186, 427, 148 and 149 in response to a complaint lodged by SI Abu Bakkar.

According to the FIR, SHO SI Abu Bakkar got information about the activities of a notorious drug peddler in the area of Athal Chowk and sent two constables Mohammad Shoaib and Ahmed Aslam for recce.

Being SHO, he took a 13-member raiding party close to the area where the two constables were sent for recce. In the meantime, the raiding party got information from another informer that the drug dealers have taken the constables hostage and taken them to an unknown location and tortured them. After getting the information the police riding team reached the spot and found a charged gathering of over 200 people 16 of them were armed with weapons, batons and stones.

The charged mob also blocked the road and started firing at the police after seeing the raiding party, besides, pelting them with stone.

Due to the firing one of the men having criminal record sustained bullet injury near his eye, besides, three passersby also sustained injuries.

Later, police contingent and armed personnel carriers were called to the spot.

However, the mob resorted to indiscriminate firing at the APC and later escaped to the nearby areas.

The injured including ASI Naseer Ahmed were taken to hospital for medical assistance.

Constables Shoaib and Aslam were, however, recovered during an operation.

Sources contradicted the police claim and the content of the FIR and said that lone police constable went to the village Athal to interact with a villager, a notorious drug dealer. The policeman and the villager engaged in a harsh argument that turned violent, and the policeman pulled out his weapon and opened fire on the policeman.

As a result, the villager sustained a bullet injury . Hearing the gunshot, other villagers rushed to the spot; the policeman attempted to escape from the village. However, the villagers chased and intercepted him. The villagers beat him black and blue, snatched his weapon, and ripped his uniform.

After getting the information about the issue, senior police officers along with a well-equipped police contingent, including the Counter-Terrorism Department, reached the village and cordoned it off to rescue the policeman. The villagers resisted the police operation, and both sides resorted to firing.

During the firing three passersby sustained bullet injures. Later after negotiation with the villagers the police got the constable released.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2025