RAWALPINDI, April 14: The photographers covering the final Test between Pakistan and India at Pindi Cricket Stadium staged a brief strike on Wednesday to protest against alleged maltreatment and what they claimed were unnecessary hurdles in the name of security by the local police.

The photographers wrapped up black ribbons around their cameras as well as around their shoulders to voice protest at the incident in which a police official misbehaved with an Indian photographer on Tuesday.

A Rawalpindi police official, however, persuaded the photographers to give up plans to stop the coverage altogether and to stage a sit-in near the boundary ropes while the match went on. He assured them that Police would be ordered to fully cooperate with the photographers.

"The foreign photographers are our guests and we regard their honour and prestige as ours," the official said as the protesters called off the strike and started covering the match. The official said that the police constable who misbehaved with the Indian photographer, identified as Imtiaz, was under suspension and an inquiry had been ordered to probe into the matter. -APP