RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has taken serious notice of manhandling of a woman allegedly by a traffic police official of Islamabad in the Police Lines, Rawalpindi.

A video on social media on Friday in which the woman was being dragged apparently by a plain-clothed traffic police official of Islamabad caught the attention of the Punjab government spokesperson Dr Shahbaz Gill who ordered an investigation into the incident.

Police spokesman said Arshad Gondal, associated with Islamabad traffic police as a fork lifter, was a complainant in a vehicle theft case registered with Sadiqabad in 2018 in which he had nominated three suspects.

He further said the investigating officer had declared all the three suspects innocent in the case.

The spokesman said the complainant Arshad Gondal filed an application with the SSP Investigation seeking fresh investigation into the case by some other officer.

The SP investigation had called both the parties including the suspects and the complainant to his office.

The woman, who is wife of one of the suspects, also accompanied them.

He said while Arshad Gondal was walking towards the parking area to get his motorcycle, the woman had a quarrel with him and somebody made their video and uploaded it on social media.

The SSP Investigation while talking to Dawn had confirmed the incident.

He said when he heard screams, he immediately directed the police to take both the parties to the Civil Lines for “protective proceeding” and to take written compromise from them.

However, an investigation, headed by DSP Civil Lines had been ordered to ascertain the real circumstance in which they had a quarrel.

The Punjab government’s spokesman Dr Shahbaz Gill in his tweet said Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had directed the Rawalpindi district police to initiate an inquiry and take strict action against the police official involved in the incident.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2019