CHINIOT: Bhowana police have registered a case against 11 nominated and 12 unidentified suspects, including two lawyers and an Elite Force constable, for allegedly torturing a farmer and his family and attempting to kidnap him around 10 months ago.

According to the first information report, complainant Amjid Taqi, a resident of Khunda Bhir village, stated that he was asleep at his house on the night of June 8, 2025, when barking dogs woke him. He saw 20 to 25 armed men carrying guns, sticks and iron rods.

He alleged that one of the suspects, Qamar Hasnain, a constable in the Elite Force, ordered the attackers to find him and said he would be shot dead after being taken to a nearby volleyball ground.

Sensing danger, the complainant locked himself inside, but the assailants broke down the door, entered the house and severely beat him with fists and sticks. When his family members and relatives tried to intervene, they were also subjected to violence.

The attackers allegedly attempted to drag Amjid Taqi towards the main road. However, a villager made an announcement through the mosque loudspeaker, alerting others and calling for help. As residents gathered at the scene, the suspects fled.

The injured complainant and his relatives were later shifted to THQ Hospital, Bhowana, where medico-legal certificates were issued and treatment provided.

The nominated suspects include cop Qamar Hasnain, lawyers Sabtain and Waqar and Sohail, Safdar, Mehdi, Ali, Qasim, Ansar, Abid and Bilal, along with 12 unidentified individuals.

The complainant stated that the motive behind the attack was a prior dispute with Qamar Hasnain during a volleyball match, during which the latter allegedly issued life threats.

Police have registered the case under Sections 337-A, 337-F(i)(v), 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code. One suspect, Ansar Ali, has been arrested, while raids are ongoing to arrest the remaining suspects.

Waqar Ahmad, one of the nominated suspects and a member of the Bhowana Bar Association, rejected the allegations, claiming the case was based on false statements.

He questioned the delay in registration of the FIR and urged Faisalabad Regional Police Officer Sohail Sukhera, to order a fair investigation.

District police spokesperson Najaf Ali said the delay occurred because the suspects had challenged the medico-legal certificates (MLCs) in the court. He claimed that District Police Officer Dr Naveed Atif has ordered a merit-based investigation to ensure justice.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2026