Two nephews of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, who were arrested on Wednesday from Lahore’s Race Course area after they allegedly scuffled with a traffic warden who had stopped them for violating traffic rules, were released on bail on Thursday.
Azeem Khan and his younger brother Abdullah Khan were released on bail on surety bonds of Rs 50,000 each. Their lawyer further alleged that the accused were tortured while in police custody. A magistrate has ordered a medical examination to verify the claims.
The next date for the hearing of the case is July 16. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered under Section 147, 149, 506 and 353 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Police earlier said that Azeem and Abdullah were stopped by traffic warden Shakeel Ahmed for violating traffic rules.
At this point, Azeem and Abdullah allegedly scuffled with the police official who then brought the two men to Race Course Station where a case was registered against the two accused for “threatening to kill” and “obstructing the job” of a government official.
Family sources of the two accused, however, claim that Punjab IG Mushtaq Sukhera had told them that the case was registered against the two boys on “pressure from above”.
The sources also claimed that the police first got the boys to sign a confession statement promising that they would not be booked in the case, however the police officials allegedly reneged on the agreement “due to official pressure”.
“The police is now using the confessional statement against the boys,” they claimed.
According to sources privy to the incident, the brother were on their way to a football match when traffic warden Shakeel stopped them on the Canal Road for not wearing seat belts. The police official later demanded to see their identity cards which they failed to produce, said the sources, adding that in the meantime the boys’ cousin Hassaan Niazi also arrived at the scene and a scuffle ensued after a heated argument.
“Shakeel then called for help and a police mobile reached the scene and took the two boys to the Race Course Police Station. Hassaan Niazi, another nephew of Imran Khan, was not taken into custody,” they said.