Failure of City Division Investigation Police to recover four teenagers kidnapped two months ago brought the families of kidnapped boys on the roads to protest against police’s inefficiency.
Four teenagers identified as 18-years-old Hassan Mushtaq, 14-years-old Rizwan, 17-years-old Usman and 16-years-old Jameel, all residents of Qaddafi Colony, were kidnapped on second day of Eidul Azha. A case was registered in Badami Bagh police station but the police had not been able to trace the kidnappers to date. Agitated by the police’s attitude, dozens of people including relatives of kidnapped and other residents of Qaddafi Colony protested on Ring Road, burnt tyres and blocked the traffic. Protesters claimed that police was not investigating the matter intentionally and had connections with the alleged kidnappers who had a long criminal history. They alleged that despite nominating the four persons in the case police had been unable to arrest any single of them so far.
Usman’s father, Amanat, told reporters that he had received a phone call from his missing son a week ago, who had told him that all the kidnapped boys were being tortured. He said he gave the details of the call to police but the police had failed to locate the kidnappers.
According to the complainant, his neighbour Muhammad Mushtaq was a witness to a double murder and the accused did not want him to appear in court to identify their brother Rawash who was under trial. He said Mushtaq’s son, Hassan, was a friend of his son Rizwan, both of whom were kidnapped with their two friends Usman and Jameel.Muhammad Mushtaq said he had met Liaqat alias Lalu in Kot Lakhpat jail for the release of his son where he demanded Rs 2.5 million for each kidnapped boy.
Badami Bagh Police Investigation Officer Inspector Abdullah Pasha told Pakistan Today that police had arrested Muhammad Aslam, father of three accused, and he was in their custody on remand. He said Liaquat alias Lalu and Rawash were already in Kot Lakhpat and Camp jails respectively. He said the rest of the accused would be arrested soon, adding that Liaquat alias Lalu, Rawash, Rafaqat, Sarwar Alias Sheeda, Usman Bhatti and Kashif were nominated later by the complainant.
Meanwhile relatives of a girl kidnapped from Kasur also protested outside the Punjab Assembly against the police. According to details, 22-years-old Aqsa, resident of Kasur, was kidnapped two months ago by some influential of the area over a property dispute. Protesters accused police of not recovering the girl deliberately to make money from both parties. They demanded high ups of police and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to take notice of the matter.
