Viral video ‘exaggerated, out of context’, police issues statement after social media pressure

On Wednesday, the Punjab Police condemned the “fake propaganda” being spread on social media websites after videos emerged showing cops being assaulted by Pakistan Army officers in Bahawalnagar.

“This matter in Bahawalnagar, which went viral on social media, has been taken out of context and exaggerated,” the police said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.

The footage caused calls for concern from various quarters including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Hammad Azhar who said that the matter in Bahawalnagar was very concerning and that the government was treating the incident as “trivial”.

“When the unverified videos went viral, both institutions launched a joint investigation. Officers from both institutions reviewed the facts and peacefully resolved the matter,” the police said in a statement.

“Punjab Police and the Pakistan Army are cooperating to eliminate terrorists, miscreants and criminals from the province. We request that social media users do not spread fake propaganda,” concluded the statement by Punjab Police.

On April 8, an FIR was registered after ASI Naeem was on petrol with other cops and came across two individuals who fled after seeing them. One person was arrested and a gun without licence was also seized from him.

When they tried to arrest the other suspect who fled from the scene, he had called his relatives and resisted arrest even dragging a constable inside his home while beating him. Naeem said negotiations to recover the constable failed and police backup was also called.

Around 20 people threatened to kill the police, opened fire and took another constable and SHO Abbas as hostages.

Furthermore, many videos came to surface on social media showing army officials beating and torturing cops in public.

The police statement did not give details on what transpired between the men in the video.

However, in a turn of events, an FIR was registered station on April 10 against four police officials under Section 342 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) which declares “punishment for wrongful confinement” and Section 155C which gives penalties to police officers for misconduct under the Police Order 2002.

This FIR was registered after instructions were issued to carry out legal proceedings against the four.

The now newly appointed SHO said that the previous police officers misused their authority and exhibited “high-handedness”.