ISLAMABAD, Oct 9: The Kohsar police allegedly tried to abduct the owner of a fast-food restaurant in Super Market on the pressure of an influential person. The eatery owner’s crime was that the big-shot could not be served meal on time, police sources and eyewitnesses told Dawn on Tuesday.

However, the attempt was foiled by traders of the market, the sources added.

They said the influential person - A.B. - worked as an aide to a former senator during the previous government and was a close friend of an official posted in the Kohsar police station.

The staff of the restaurant and the shopkeepers adjacent to the market avoided to share the details of the incident with this reporter. But the sources said it occurred early Thursday.

The eyewitnesses, including an employee of the restaurant, told Dawn that A.B. along with one of his friends came to the eatery in a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) after 12:30am and ordered for a meal.

“The big-shot, who seemed to be under the influence of alcohol, lost temper when there was a delay in serving of the meal,” said the sources.  They added: “He (A.B.) used foul language against the waiter and asked him to call the owner of the restaurant.”

When the owner came out, A.B. also allegedly abused and manhandled him, a waiter said.

He added that the man introduced himself as a senior officer of the capital police and threatened the restaurant’s owner and the staff with dire consequences. Later, he made a telephone call to someone and asked him to immediately send police to the restaurant.

Within minutes, a pick-up carrying six policemen pulled up and the policemen saluted A.B. before inquiring about the matter. “This showed that the man was a police officer,” the waiter added.

Later, A.B. asked the policemen to drag the restaurant owner into the pick-up and shift him to the police station, the waiter said.

In the meanwhile, said the sources, the restaurant owner and his staff kept begging the police to spare them.

The onlookers told the police personnel that the man introducing himself as their officer had done an injustice to the restaurant owner and his staff. When the people requested A.B. to forgive the owner, he asked the police to let him go along with the staff.

The waiter said the incident terrified them and they were asked not to discuss it with anyone. He requested not to be quoted as it could endanger his life.

When contacted, Sarfaraz Mughal, the president of Super Market traders’ union, first expressed ignorance but after half an hour told Dawn that he had spoken to Mr Sajid, the owner of the restaurant, who confirmed the incident. He said whatever had happened was wrong.

Inspector Khalid Masood, the Station House Officer of Kohsar, neither denied nor confirmed the incident and said: “It is not in my knowledge.”