A former candidate of the local government elections took his own life by consuming poisonous pills after he was allegedly tortured by the police. Family sources said that the brother of the deceased, Faizan, a resident of Khalabat, was picked up by the police a few days back on the charges of theft, but he managed to escape from the police custody.They said the police arrested his brother Nauman Khan, 29, who was the former candidate for youth councillor seat in order to pressure the accused to court arrest. The family alleged the police tortured Nauman during the illegal detention. The police released Nauman, who worked at a poultry farm, after some local influential persons intervened, but he committed suicide out of embarrassment. His family accused the police of humiliating and torturing Nauman in custody. While the provincial PTI government is always ready to boast of the upgraded police infrastructure and FIR systems in K-P, we have here an example of the kind of police brutality in the province that one regularly witnesses in other parts of the country as well. The party claims that the K-P police force is the best in the country and is depoliticised, but these ever-so-prevalent medieval ways of policing refute such claims. There are two underlying points of contention of the unbecoming behaviour by the police in this tragic incident. The first is the problem of police bullying and just how much unnecessary physical, emotional and mental trauma it can cause suspects. Secondly, should persons associated with a prime suspect be presumed guilty just by association, without due process? Interrogation to gather details about a case can be achieved without manhandling and torture by the police, which is a breach of basic rights. Law-enforcement agencies should instead invest in forensic investigators and psychologists to collect information. All provincial and federal governments need to implement and enforce all basic protocols for police forces to follow, such as requiring warrants for search and arrest. Individual officers must be taken to task and dismissed if they cannot treat suspects as human beings.
pk.shafaqna.com
