Karachi police on Wednesday registered a case against a man over charges of attempting suicide and others, after he climbed an electric pole in Korangi area reportedly to protest against police’s alleged harsh attitude and to "have other demands fulfilled".

Awami Colony police booked Mohammed Shakir under Sections 325 (attempt to commit suicide) and 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or for shorter terms) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The area's Station House Officer (SHO) Shahid Khan, said the case had been registered on behalf of the state and the suspect was arrested.

Shakir on Wednesday afternoon climbed a pole of high-tension wires passing through the Korangi neighbourhood.

After receiving information about the situation, police alerted K-Electric officials, who had the power supply suspended in the locality to save the man.

The police officers who reached the scene tried to persuade Shakir to come down, but to no avail.

They sought help from the fire brigade, which sent a snorkel that was eventually used to bring the man down from the pole. A fire brigade official said the man did not receive any injuries during the episode.

SHO Shahid told Dawn that the man had been "suffering from depression".

Eye-witnesses said Shakir, who is an alleged drug addict and works in a factory in the area, was protesting against the police for subjecting him to an 'undesirable attitude' after drugs were recently found from his possession. At times, the man also made demands that he should be allowed to have a "love marriage".

Section 325 of the PPC reads: Whoever attempts to commit suicide and does any act towards the commission of such offence, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.

According to Section 511: Whoever attempts to commit an offence punishable by this Code with imprisonment for life or imprisonment, or to cause such an offence to be committed, and in such attempt does any act towards the commission of the offence, shall where no express provision is made by this Code for the punishment of such attempt, be punished with imprisonment of any description provided for the offence for a term which may extend to one-half of the longest term of imprisonment provided for that offence or with such fine daman as is provided for the offence, or with both.