Express News screengrab of the victim (L) and the police torture (R).
LAYYAH: A man who was allegedly beaten by police officials in Layyah and forced to lick the feet of an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) has come forward and claimed that the police tortured him on the orders of MPA Qaiser Magsi, Express News reported on Friday.
Identified as Abdul Qadir Khosa, he told Express News that an assistant sub-inspector beat him up in the presence of the SHO.
Khosa stated that he was picked up by the police in front of his mother from a field where he was working. He added the police also pushed his mother when she questioned their reason for picking up her son.
He further claimed that he was tortured in front of his family members.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on June 4 had taken notice of a video that showed the police torture, and ordered the district police officer (DPO) to submit a report on the video.
The MPA has denied that he was in the video or was in any way involved in the incident. He insisted that he remained unaware of the incident.
A police official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, had told The Express Tribune that the DPO had told the chief minister that it was impossible to identify the people in the video; none of the present police staff had any knowledge of the video or the incident and the footage could be more than a year old. Furthermore, there was no proof that the incident had taken place in Layyah, he said.
Witness
Karam Hussain Shah, 66, a land owner in Ashar village in Chobara sub-district, had earlier said he had witnessed the torture. He had stated that the man in the video, Abdul Qadir Khosa, was a tenant on his lands and had worked on his fields for almost eight years.
He had said that about a month ago, Khosa was summoned by the police at the behest of Magsi apparently because “Khosa had spoken to him in a disrespectful manner”.
Shah added that the police had picked up Khosa from his fields and dragged him to the main road. He also claimed that Chobara SHO Yousaf Baloch was in the car and five policemen, four constables and an assistant sub-inspector had beaten Khosa up. Shah also stated that the video was genuine and the police were aware of it.
COMMENTS (23)
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Does Shahbaz Sharif only know how to take notice over such incidents? Why doesn't he actually step up and TAKE serious action??? Oh well, Who am I kidding.. It's Shahbaz Sharif we are talking about!
In 30 years you changed nothing but your own financial position.
Nobody say anything about this otherwise democracy will be in danger.
You have not published my comments.I do'nt know what is the issue?When I commented one hour ago the comments were 18 and my comment was 19th but now the comments are being shown as 16. Is this the miracle of good governess in the country and particularly in the Punjab? A government cannot be run by ignoring such grave incidents in the society by protecting illiterate MPAS and MNAS by giving them undue protection simply to prolong the tenure of the government. Only those countries survive where rule of law and justice is prevalent irrespective of any persons status .The culprits must be brought to book immediately and justice should be provided to the poor man.
Shahbaz Sharif, grow a pair and put these GOD like mentality MPA's in their right place. Their ego's are off the roof. These politicians, landlords, ministers need to be brought back to their right place.
I do appreciate ET for bringing to the attention of police brutality to the nation and Pakistanis around the world. I read the above comments and it gives me hope that the younger generation of Pakistan is standing up morally and wants to have democracy in true sense where government and it's institutions are answerable to the people. If this MPA is responsible for beating up Abdul Qadir Khosa because he did not show respect to the almighty MPA,then he should face the law along with those police officers. Some one should remind the DPO that to identify the accused is to let Mr. Khosa identify them one by one.
Can the media please let us know what happens AFTER an incident is "noticed" by govt?
I think being a "pillar" of the state its the responsibility of the media to report if the culprits have been brought to justice or not.
All I can say. Another vote for Noora League please.
@ABKhan: Atleast he takes some action unlike others. In bakery incident his son in law did appear in court and spent some hours in jail. Symbolic it maybe but atleast he showed up. Same was the case last month when MPA was forced to apologize to a hospital worker after slapping him. Shahbaz Shareef cant micro manage everything.
This is the culture prevalent all over the country.....unless we route out feudalism / waderas from our society...such criminal act will continue in our society.....the same group of landlords / feudal lords & waderas are the biggest industrialist & now in the corridor of power who makes laws for the poor people, not for them to follow....unless such group is taken to task, we as country will never prosper....we need revolution like CHINA & IRAN to make this country succeed...
Hahahahahaha really easy to identify the people in the tape. Take the victim and have him do a "Shanakhti Parade" of the rascal police before him!
Shehbaz Sharif will now surely punish the MPA.... for letting the video be leaked!
Good governance?
Timely for Shahbaz Sharif to take notice of his notices
We need islam as a system in this country otherwise we will never get justice.
Good to see PML-N's non discrimination policy. They beat everyone equally, be they bakers, doctors, MPAs or poor farmers.
Another shameful incident in the list of N league backed legislators..
For mayn elections PMLN has been promising to change thana culture the results of which we see every day
No difference between Taliban and Pakistan Police/Army.
Shahbaz sharif and N league will keep protecting their MPA. In this country the bakery man, tenants and other honest workers will keep getting humiliated by N league.
Thanks to media for exposing police brutality. DPO claimed that it is not possible to identify the men in the video. Bureaucracy will never ever be public servant in this country. Alas!
Now Shahbaz Sharif will take notice and then nothing will happen ...!!!!