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PESHAWAR – In what could go down as a first case of using military might on traffic wardens in Pakistan, a squad of army personnel led by a major tortured three Motorway policemen on Grand Trunk or GT Road.
Sources told Daily Pakistan that one Sub-Inspector Atif Shehzad on Sunday morning signaled an over speeding car near Nihal Pura, after being alerted by patrolling units on Peshawar-Rawalpindi highway.
Two army captains, Qasim and Danyal, came out of the car, with one of the officers having aimed his official 9mm pistol at the warden.
The situation intensified after the police officials, present at the scene, also pointed their guns at the duo considering them ‘terrorists’.
However, the armed man immediately introduced himself as an army captain, and no shots were fired.
The traffic wardens took the incident quite seriously and insisted on taking proper action against the army men – issuing a ticket for over speeding, and taking legal action for displaying arms publicly, let alone pointing a gun at a policeman.
On the other hand, the army officers while executing their own ‘plan of action’ called up the nearest cantonment for reinforcement. That brought Major Zaarfran and his half-a-dozen men squad to the scene.
The army commandos dragged the traffic wardens, SI Atif Shehza, SI Mohsin and Constable Jalal Shah, into an army SUV and took them away to an unknown location – possibly the nearest army station, Akora Khattak.
The whole episode triggered panic among the passers-by, while the Motorways and Highways police calling their high-ups for intervention.
Luckily, the three cops were released after few hours. Unluckily, they were seriously injured after being subjected to torture by the army personnel during their enforced stay at military station.
The wardens were later taken to district headquarters hospital in Nowshera.
The Motorways police have lodged a written complaint with Akora Khattak police station against the army officers.
A copy of FIR registered with Akora Khattak Police Station.
In a tweet on Monday, Pakistan Army’s Inter Service Public Relations wing said the matter was being inquired.
“Law will take its course in disposing of the case and justice will be done,” according to an army spokesperson.
Akora Khattak is a city along the Grand Trunk Road, in the Nowshera District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is also the birthplace of famous Puhsto poet Khushal Khan Khattak.-DP
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