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Tag: police

  • Police arrest boy for stealing brake plates from moving train in Sukkur

    Police arrest boy for stealing brake plates from moving train in Sukkur

    Police claim to have detained a teenager from Sukkur for stealing iron from a moving train.

    As per reports, a video of a boy hanging from one side of the train’s locomotive engine, allegedly stealing brake plates of the engine, did the rounds on social media a few days back.

    The police filed a case against the boy after the video went viral and conducted a raid at a house in Sukkur where they managed to nab the suspect identified as Sarfaraz Sheikh.

    After the video of him stealing from a moving train aired on TV, the police said that Sheikh altered his appearance to escape arrest.

    According to the police, the train, the boy was seen clinging to, was the Hazara Express and was travelling to Karachi.

  • Dubai police arrest 11 Ukrainian women, one Russian man after nude photoshoot

    Police in Dubai have arrested 11 Ukrainian women and a Russian man for their involvement in a nude photoshoot on a high-rise balcony after footage of the same went viral, foreign media reported.

    Dubai is a top destination for the world’s Instagram influencers and models, who fill their social media feeds with bikini-clad selfies from the coastal city’s luxury hotels and artificial islands.

    But the city’s brand as a glitzy foreign tourist destination has at times provoked controversy and collided with Emirates’ strict rules governing public behavior and expression based on Islamic law.

    The nude photoshoot scandal comes just days before the holy month of Ramzan and as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky lands in nearby Doha, Qatar, for an official state visit.

    Over the years, Dubai increasingly has promoted itself as a popular destination for Russians on holiday. Signs in Cyrillic are a common sight at the city’s major malls.

    Dubai police announced earlier this week they had arrested a group of people on debauchery charges over a widely-shared video showing naked women posing in broad daylight on a balcony overlooking the city’s upscale Marina neighborhood

    Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that 11 of the detained women were Ukrainian, while a Russian diplomat in Dubai said the photographer who filmed the naked women held Russian citizenship.

    Police declined to identify those detained. More than a dozen women appeared in the video and the nationalities of the others arrested were not immediately known.

    The detainees are reportedly being deported.

  • Islamabad police rescue children, manage hostage crisis successfully

    Islamabad Police on Sunday rescued two children and arrested the suspect, handling a hostage crisis successfully.

    As per reports, a man forcefully entered a house in the Bara Kahu area of Islamabad and held two children hostage in order to avoid arrest at the hands of the law enforcement authorities (LEAs).

    The police after a successful operation rescued the children and arrested the suspect. The capital police also shared a video of the incident on social media that shows the suspect getting arrested and being shifted with his face covered.

    https://twitter.com/amnaappi/status/1376231401595502592?s=20

    The police also lauded SP Hamza Humayun for successfully leading the operation to rescue the children and managing the entire hostage crisis.

    The two children held hostage were aged three and two years and have been handed over to their parents. One person was injured after the suspect opened fire on him.

    The police have started an inquiry into the entire matter, besides also recording the testimonies of the eye-witnesses in the neighbourhood.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlxxkKBVneg
  • ‘Islamabad police receives 2,700 fake calls daily’

    ‘Islamabad police receives 2,700 fake calls daily’

    The Islamabad police receives approximately 2,700 fake calls daily because of which the police response system is being badly affected, Inspector-General Qazi Jamil ur Rehman has said.

    The police chief appealed to the masses to avoid making hoax calls as it may put someone’s life in danger.

    “If we are sent to a hoax call, it means we’re not available when someone really needs our help. It could be a matter of life or death,” said the IG in a statement.

    He said that police emergency department 15 plays an important role in receiving and transmitting calls from the public.

    However, the fake calls not only waste the time of the operator but may cause a delay in responding to an emergency situation.

    The IG directed 15 authorities to book frequent callers and proceed with legal action against them.

    SMS alert service launched

    Meanwhile, the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) has taken several initiatives like issuance of smart driving licenses, online appointment system, SMS alert service for the convenience of motorists, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Farrukh Rashid announced.

    The ITP also revealed that over Rs20 million fine was collected from drivers by issuing as many as 73,609 challans over various traffic violations during the ongoing year. Some 1,420 were ticketed against over-speeding, 2,767 for tinted glasses, 566 for illegal lights, 2,590 for lane violation, 8,816 for not using a helmet and 3,150 for not fastening their seat belt. Similarly, 1,831 people were fined for using mobile phones while driving, 737 over wrong parking and 3,136 were charged for using fancy number plates.

    Earlier, PTI Senator Faisal Javed Khan had also shared a picture of himself getting fined by the police for not wearing a seatbelt.

  • 14-year-old student dies in Peshawar Police custody

    14-year-old student dies in Peshawar Police custody

    A 14-year-old student of Grade 7 was found dead in police custody in Peshawar on Sunday. According to the police, Shahzeb was arrested on Sunday after a fight with a shopkeeper and a weapon was recovered from him. The police claimed that the youth later committed suicide in the lockup. An alleged CCTV footage of his suicide is also doing the rounds on social media.

    Read more – Police brutality, again

    On the other hand, Shahzeb’s father said his son had gone to get his pictures taken around 2 pm on Sunday as he needed them for his school. He said when he reached the police station after he got a call that his son had been arrested, the police did not tell him for three hours about his son’s condition. He believes that his son did not commit suicide but died due to police torture.

    Responding to the incident, Peshawar CCPO said that “in view of the tragic young death, the entire staff of the respective police station has been suspended, [an] FIR registered and responsible staff arrested.”

    The CCPO added that he has also requested a judicial inquiry into the matter. Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police (IG) KP has said that he will monitor the incident himself.

    Meanwhile, Special Assistant to Chief Minister KP on Information and Public Relations, Kamran Bangash has said that CM KP Mahmood Khan has ordered a judicial inquiry into the tragic incident and is monitoring the situation personally.

    He added that he and Deputy Speaker Provincial Assembly Mahmood Jan met with the family of the deceased and offered condolences on behalf of the government.

    Video report of the incident:

    Incidents of police brutality are not uncommon in Pakistan. Earlier in January 2020, five officials of Islamabad Police’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) were arrested after they gunned down a 21-year-old boy, Usama Satti, in cold blood near Srinagar Highway, G-10 sector in the federal capital.

  • VIDEO: Mardan police arrest taxi driver for doing push-ups on moving car

    VIDEO: Mardan police arrest taxi driver for doing push-ups on moving car

    The police in Mardan arrested a taxi driver for doing push-ups on a moving car. 

    According to the police, the man was arrested after he posted video clips of himself doing push-ups on the moving car on social media.  

    A Twitter user Shoaib Ahmad shared the video of a group of men in a moving car, sitting on the car’s windows and hooting for the driver as he does push-ups with one hand on the open driver’s door and the other on the roof.

    A traffic police warden arrested the careless “taxi driver” identified as Jawad Ahmed alias Ladoo Khan, authorities confirmed on Twitter, adding that a case was filed against the man at the Par Hoti police station.

    “Police have also seized the car,” the Mardan Police added.

  • Karachi police pop their rollerblades on to catch criminals

    Karachi police pop their rollerblades on to catch criminals

    Police in Karachi are deploying an armed rollerblading unit to curb theft and harassment on the teeming streets of the port city.

    Gliding in a circle with their weapons pointed inwards, and lifting and lowering the guns in unison, the 20-member unit clad in black undergoes rigorous training.

    “We felt we needed to come up with an innovative approach to control street crime,” said Farrukh Ali, chief of the unit, explaining that officers on rollerblades could more easily chase thieves on motorcycles through the city of 20 million.

    Ali conceded that rollerblading police could not be deployed across many parts of Karachi due to the poor road conditions and uneven footpaths, but said they would be sent to public places with a higher incidence of theft and harassment.

    “This is just the beginning,” said Aneela Aslam, a policewoman on the unit. “This rollerblading will really benefit us. With this training, we can reach narrow alleys very quickly where it is usually difficult to go.”

    Safety concerns were raised when initial footage of the Karachi unit’s training showed officers carrying heavier weapons, but Ali said the unit would only carry handguns, reducing the risk of bullets richocheting.

    The rollerblading police – who follow in the footsteps of similar units in Europe and elsewhere – are expected to begin officially next month, but they were recently spotted outside the venue of the Pakistan Super League cricket tournament.

    And they have already begun patrolling Karachi’s bustling beachfront.

    “Seeing them here in clean uniforms since the morning gives us a sense of security, as even in daytime, snatchings occur here,” said pedestrian Muhammad Azeem.

  • Police bar female students from sitting in front passenger seats over harassment

    Police bar female students from sitting in front passenger seats over harassment

    After complaints of harassment, the Mansehra Traffic Police has barred female students from sitting in the front passenger seats of the public transport across the district.

    According to Express Tribune, the ban was imposed by the police in a bid to curb harassment. The women were subjected to harassment by the drivers as the front section of the Suzuki vans and pick-ups is entirely detached from the rear part of the vehicle.

    The windows in the front are also tainted and the driver could get away with harassment. The traffic police warned that cases could be registered against the public transporters if the ban was violated.

    Last month, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had announced the formation of district protection committees (DPC) for swift implementation of harassment law across the province, according to APP. These committees would be headed by a woman Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) to resolve disputes related to domestic violence or harassment at workplaces.

    In January last year, the provincial assembly had passed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace (Amendment) Bill, 2020, targeting the incidents of workplace harassment.

    In case, parties did not agree to the proposed solutions, the case would be referred to District Sessions Judge or Additional District Sessions Judge to decide it within two months. And if any party did not agree with the court’s judgment then appeals against such decisions could be filed in the Peshawar High Court (PHC).

    Under the new act, up to five years of prison time and a penalty or both could be handed. The court can also pass an interim order in such cases.  One-year imprisonment and up to Rs0.3 million fine could be handed in case of violation of the court orders.

  • Protesting govt employees face authorities’ wrath in Islamabad

    Protesting govt employees face authorities’ wrath in Islamabad

    Protesting government employees on Wednesday faced wrath of authorities in Islamabad as they headed towards the Parliament House on Constitution Avenue.

    According to Geo News, the protesters have reached D Chowk while Islamabad authorities have blocked the way towards the Parliament with containers. Demonstrators have started bypassing the containers because of which the police once again resorted to tear gas shelling to disperse them.

    Because of the tear gas, some police and Rangers personnel also had to retract for a while, reports said.

    The protesters have demanded that the containers be removed or else they will remove it themselves.  

    The federal government employees are demanding a raise in their salaries and had gathered today after their leader Rehman Bajwa and nine others were arrested overnight.

    Following the arrests, the government workers in the federal capital had announced they will march towards the Parliament House from Pakistan Secretariat for their demands and the release of their leaders.

    The police had resorted to tear gas shelling after they made a move towards the parliament. The protesters at one point also encircled Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz.

    At another, the protesting employees also closed the doors to the secretariat bringing the government machinery to a halt.

    At least two dozen protesting employees were taken into custody under Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO).

    The government employees were protesting against the income disparities between various federal government employees. They have been demanding a 40% increase in their salaries.

    The protesters have received support from government employees over grade 17, who have also demanded an increase in their salaries.

    The All Pakistan Clerks Association and government employees of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh are also supporting the protest.

    Speaking on the matter, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said that the government dealt with the protesters “correctly” and it was the demonstrators who had backtracked on the agreement.

    “We dealt with this correctly we are increasing the salaries of 95% of employees at an average of 40%,” the minister told Geo News when asked about the situation.

    “The matter will be resolved [if] they go back to their initial demands,” said the interior minister.

    Geo also quoted sources as saying that a two-member committee, comprising interior and defence ministers, had been tasked with dealing with the protesters and was in contact with the finance ministry over the raise.

  • Police brutality, again

    Pakistan is no stranger to incidents of police brutality but there are events that leave the entire nation shell-shocked.

    Five officials of Islamabad Police’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) were arrested after they gunned down a 21-year-old boy, Usama Satti, in cold blood near Srinagar Highway, G-10 sector in the federal capital.

    This incident has led the nation to question why ours is a trigger-happy police force.

    Earlier today, Senate’s Human Rights Committee Chairperson Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar tweeted, “Heart goes out to the family of young Usama. Can’t imagine what his parents and loved ones must be going through. Although judicial inquiry has been ordered, will take it up in HR committee too. Use of deadly assault weapons should b the last resort. Fatal error of judgement.”

    Social media trends asking for justice for Satti as well as arresting Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed started trending following the young man’s brutal killing.

    In a report published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) in 2016 on police in Pakistan, the rights group noted that successive Pakistani governments have for decades failed to reform an under-resourced and under-equipped police force or hold abusive police to account. 

    Two years ago in January 2019, police officials killed several members of the same family in Sahiwal town on suspicion of terrorism. At that time, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan not just condemned the killings but he also promised police reforms so as to avoid torture and extrajudicial killings.

    An anti-terrorism court acquitted all six personnel of the CTD who were allegedly involved in the Sahiwal incident. The Punjab government did challenge the acquittal but such is the state of justice in this country that an encounter in broad daylight in front of young children could not garner any justice for the victims’ family.

    Two years ago in January 2019, police officials killed several members of the same family in Sahiwal town on suspicion of terrorism. At that time, Prime Minister Imran Khan not just condemned the killings but he also promised police reforms so as to avoid torture and extrajudicial killings. An anti-terrorism court acquitted all six personnel of the CTD police who were allegedly involved in the Sahiwal incident. The Punjab government did challenge the acquittal but such is the state of justice in this country that an encounter in broad daylight in front of young children could not garner any justice for the victims’ family.

    Police reforms were one of the key promises made by PM Imran and his party, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), when they came to power in 2018. Unfortunately, we have not seen any substantive move towards the same. It is important now more than ever that the government starts walking the talk because such incidents occur due to lack of accountability. We cannot continue to live in fear of a trigger-happy police force that can kill at will without any consequences.

    After police reforms in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) by the PTI government during its last tenure, we had high hopes that the PTI’s federal government would emulate the KP Police Act, 2017 in other provinces where it is in power, especially Punjab. We hope that the government would now do so at an urgent basis.