SARGODHA, Oct 19: The Factory Area police have booked a lawyer for allegedly interfering in the official working of a police patrol post squad at Chak 107-NB, besides threatening the law enforcers with dire consequences.

According to reports, Sub-Inspector Khuda Bakhsh, a patrol post in-charge, stopped Faisal Hayat Khan and inquired about the registration of motorbike near 85 Jhal. The police brought Faisal to a patrol pump for identification where, they said, Advocate Samundar Khan Baloch interrupted and asked the police that under what law they had checked the motorbike within the city and why had they arrested Faisal. The lawyer, they said, threatened the police with dire consequences.

A case was registered under section 186, 353 and 506 of PPC.

On the other hand, the Sargodha District Bar Association observed a token strike from 11am and in protest against, what they said, thrashing of Advocate Samundar on the abetment of DSP patrol and ASP city.

They said they would launch more protests if the policemen involved in the incident were not suspended from service.

The DBA resolved that no lawyer from Sargodha would provide legal assistance to the police.

DBA Secretary-General Raja Abdul Qayyum told this correspondent that earlier the police had humiliated a senior lawyer and also assaulted other lawyers, including Chaudhry Muhammad Asghar, Muhammad Arshad and Masood Jehangir, and involved them in fake cases.

Bar Secretary Muhammad Aslam Gujjar said the ASP city and DSP patrol abused the lawyers and lodged cases against them in non-bailable offences so that they should remain in jail.

An eyewitness confirmed that the lawyers only inquired from the police under what law they were checking motorbikes within the city, which infuriated the sub-inspector who thrashed the lawyer and after getting permission from high-ups put him behind the bars.

The DPO and ASP city declined to comment.

Meanwhile, DIG has ordered inquiry on the complaint of lawyers and assured them that no leniency would be shown to the police.