RAWALPINDI: The police have launched an investigation into the kidnapping of two police officials by activists of religious parties from the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital on Dec 26.

The two police officials were found three days later alongside a road bearing marks of torture.

A suspect was identified after a CNIC was found by the police and CCTV images obtained from the hospital were sent to the National Database and Registration Authority for identification of other accused.

A senior police official said the CNIC and that further investigation will be conducted to identify others involved.

Sub-inspectors Aslam Hayat and Amanat Ali were kidnapped by activists of religious parties from the DHQ Hospital while they were accompanying the bodies of people killed during the police operation.

Both the officers were found on Dec 28 alongside a road in Sohan with marks of torture including fractured bines and bruises.

The SIs were said to have been detained in a tent in Faizabad.

Amanat Ali has not yet recovered and still has a fever.

His wounds will take longer to heal. Aslam Hayat says he has also not yet recovered and that doctors have advised him to rest for six weeks.

Though 11 criminal cases were registered with the Sadiqabad police including for the murder of five participants of the sit-in conducted by religious parties at Faizabad, the police have been focusing on the case for the kidnapping of the two police officials.

The police say none of the heirs of the people who died have so far contacted them.

Four post-mortems were conducted on the day the two officials were kidnapped by the activists, along with police documents,

The murder FIR says some people were killed by gunshots fired by miscreants who were attacking the police.

However, none of the main leaders of the religious groups nor the activists were nominated in the case registered on the complaint of SHO Inspector Zulfiqar Ali.

He said in the FIR that more than 15 police officials were injured during the violence and that Constable Waqas Ahmed was also kidnapped by the protesters, though he was freed later.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2017