FAISALABAD, Jan 17: Thikriwala union councils Nazims and councillors and political leaders have demanded the Punjab chief minister and governor to order an inquiry into the Saddar police action against poor powerloom workers.

In separate statements here on Saturday, Nazims Zulfiqar Ali Bandhecha, Rai Intisar Ahmad, Muhammad Arshad, councillors Haider Ali, Muhammad Tufail and PML-N leader Shahbaz Ahmad Kissana condemned the police action against poor industrial workers and registration of case against them.

They condemned police for harassing the workers in the name of a drive against porno movies. A number of innocent people were taken into custody by the special police teams to receive bribe, and those who could not pay them, were booked under Motion Pictures Ordinance, they added.

They regretted that despite the government claims of police reforms, the Thikriwala police misbehaved with poor industrial workers in lust for money.

The police teams had arrested more than 150 people while watching cable channels at a tea stall on Thursday night and beat those who argued with them. They also tortured them in police stations.

However, the judicial magistrate granted them bail on Friday.