A family from Sheikhupura city, in the province of Punjab in Pakistan, was thrashed by the police over a house-related dispute, on July 16, and the district officials refused to file a case. It was only after one of the helpless family members posted pictures of his bleeding relatives, including his mother, on Twitter later that the Punjab Police finally took notice.
Explaining what happened during the incident, tweep Muhammad Hasnan, @hasnan_nazir posted: “My mother, aunt and father were hit on their heads, their arms were broken and an attempt was made to seize our house by force, they tore my mother’s clothes, and dragged her to the ground, Sheikhupura police is not registering my FIR (First Information Report), I request IG (Inspector General) of Punjab to register the FIR with immediate notice.”
While the details of the incident are unclear, it is believed that the police visited Hasnan’s house upon someone’s request, and asked the family to vacate the house.
Lawyer Hassan Niazi, @HniaziISF, who is the nephew of Imran Khan, Pakistan's Prime Minister, replied to Hasnan’s post: “Spoke to the victims - family was sent from police station. They went to DHQ [hospital] Sheikhpura they refused to make medical legal report. What messed up people are they. @OfficialDPRPP where is DPO (District Police Officer) Sheikhpura. Why was an FIR not registered.”
Sheikhupura Police, @SKPPolice15, also replied to the tweet with an update, the following day: “DPO Sheikhupura Ghazi Mohammad Salahuddin took immediate notice of the news on social media. The injured are being contacted and their case is being registered at Safdarabad police station. Medical treatment of the injured is also being carried out at Tehsil Headquarters Safdarabad - Sheikhupura police spokesperson.”
Giving an update on the issue, Hasnan tweeted: “After eight hours, the police have accepted our request for medical treatment. Now they are taking my family to the hospital. #JusticeForMyAmmaJaan.”
Netizens expressed their outrage at the incident, and protested online against police brutality in Pakistan and called cops "incompetent".
Tweep @Fikhan17 wrote: What […] is going in Pakistan lately? Why are people so violent, and the police so incompetent? @OfficialDPRPP @IGPpunjab @UsmanAKBuzdar Our police have become part of the mafia, good for nothing.”
And some like user @MianOfficial were unsatisfied with the police’s response: “Sheikhupura is such a poorly administrated district and no one is taking responsibility even DC (Deputy Commissioner), AC (Assistant Commissioner), here are busy in doing publicity stunts, and posting pictures on social media as they have done some phenomenal job.”
