RAWALPINDI: Police have arrested six suspects allegedly involved in torturing a man and registered an FIR against them under section 7-Anti-Terrorism Act (7-ATA) and other relevant charges.

The police moved into action after a video showing a man in chains was being brutally tortured by some people in Gawalmandi area went viral.

In his video message, SSP Investigation Dr Raza Tanveer Sipra confirmed that a case had been registered under relevant laws and six people were arrested in this connection. Besides, section 7-ATA was also added to the FIR. It will be ensured that the accused involved in the torture will not be spared and brought to justice.”

In the video, a man who could be seen carrying a pistol with his seven accomplices was brutally torturing a naked person with sticks and plastic pipes. In the footage it could be seen that the bleeding man begging for mercy, but they kept on torturing him.

According to preliminary investigation, the victim identified as Junaid had complained about the construction of a warehouse in a residential area which led to the incident of violence.

Police said the time and date of the incident was not known. However, after the video appeared on social media, a case was registered with the City Police Station under the relevant law and later section 7-Anti-Terrorism Act was added to the FIR.

A police spokesman said that the city police launched a crackdown overnight on the instructions of CPO Syed Khalid Hamdani after the video surfaced.

During the raids, six people, including the main accused involved in the violence, were taken into custody by the police.

Raids were underway to arrest other people who were involved in torture, police said, adding no complaint was filed with the police about the incident, but the case was registered after the video came to light.

CPO Syed Khalid Hamdani said that no one involved in the violence will escape the clutches of the law. Violence against any citizen will not be tolerated at all. The accused will be challaned with solid evidence.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2025