BAHAWALNAGAR: The family of a man, who was allegedly kidnapped by police before being charged in a drug case, has accused the investigation officer (IO) of favouring his colleagues and threatening the complainants with dire consequences if they did not withdraw their complaint against the policemen concerned.
According to the some social media posts shared by the family of the victim, Farhan Arshad, a resident of Gulberg Colony, Bahawalnagar, SHO of B Division police, Sub Inspector (SI) Majid Hussain and his team allegedly picked him up from his house on the evening of March 7 in the presence of several locals.
The complainant family alleged that after detaining Farhan illegally for two days, the police registered a fabricated drug case against him under section 9C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
On the other hand, the FIR registered on the complaint of former B Division SHO alleges that a five-member police team, headed by him, was on a routine patrol on the Jalwala Road on March 9 at about 2:20pm when they searched a suspect, later identified as Farhan Arshad, recovering 1,500 grams of charas, 80 grams of ‘ice’ and Rs4,500 from his possession.
However, according to the complainant, the SHO attempted to blackmail them by filing a fabricated drug case against Farhan.
They say that they approached the Bahawalnagar district police office (DPO) and presented the CCTV footage of the incident and other evidence, filing an application for changing the investigation officer (IO).
In the light of sufficient evidence, and after hearing both parties, the district police board appointed Sub Inspector (SI) Noman Iqbal as the new IO.
However, the family alleged that instead of conducting a fair probe into the issue, the new IO began threatening them of dire consequences if they did not withdraw the kidnapping complaint against the policemen.
The family claimed that in order to suppress the evidence, the IO neither conducted a forensic analysis of the CCTV footage showing policemen entering their house and kidnapping Farhan, nor obtained the suspects’ mobile locations. The IO allegedly also avoided geo-fencing, which could have proved the police presence at the scene, despite the passage of months.
Meanwhile, condemning the “fake” case against Farhan, district bar former secretary general Ali Hasnain Syed and other bar members, held a press conference here on Saturday at the District Bar Council Hall, and leveled serious allegations against the police, including illegal detention of people, torture, and framing them in “false” drug cases.
They stated that that failure to provide justice to people like Farhan, despite CCTV footage and other important evidence, raises serious questions about the police performance.
The lawyers claimed that, despite the change of IO, attempts are being made to save the skin of the police officials involved in the incident.
Police spokesperson Zahid Rasool told Dawn that the case would be investigated on merit and in the light of the inquiry results, appropriate legal action would be taken against the guilty individuals.
On the other hand, police sources say that in his inquiry report, the new IO has endorsed the SHO’s report and declared Farhan guilty.
They say that former SHO SI Majid Hussain has also been declared innocent in another probe overseen by headquarters DSP, who allegedly did not even heard Farhan’s family.
According to the sources, following various intelligence reports, the newly-appointed Bahawalnagar DPO had suspended three SHOs, including former SI Majid Hussain, shortly after taking over the charge as police head.
They say that an intelligence report issued in April had revealed that former Bahawalnagar DPO had appointed 13 “inept” sub-inspectors having poor performance record as SHOs of different police stations before his transfer.
The new DPO has so far changed seven of these 13 SHOs, they add.
Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2026