All the victims either died in the police lock-ups or they were tortured to death by the policemen at private torture cells. Over 12, 400 people including 1480 women and 460 young girls have been tortured by police in Pakistan during the last 10 years.
The spokesperson to IG Punjab, however, told that only 20 persons succumbed to injuries in police custody during the last five years across the province. She further said: “Yet, we have to bifurcate either the causes behind their deaths were natural or police torture.”
Over 7000 people were subjected to torture across the Punjab whereas about 300 ‘suspects’ breathed their lasts either in police custody or at hospitals. Illegal confessions, refusal to pay bribe, refusing to fulfll ‘desires’ of police officers, tendency to seek justice through courts by the victims and etc were the chief reasons behind such police tortures.
The Punjab province topped with 7115 incidents, 3780 in Sindh, 8110 in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa whereas total 250 incidents of police torture occurred in Balochistan during this span of time.
According to the statistics, 555 suspects were taken into police custody in 2001, 990 in 2002, 838 in 2003, 1260 in 2004, 1350 in 2005 and 1660 in 2006 were locked up or shifted to private torture cells. Similarly, about 1725 people in 2007, over 1100 in 2008, 1560 in 2009 and 1640 in 2010 have been humiliated by the police department in Pakistan.
Moreover, despite the Supreme Court verdict given by Justice Javed Iqbal with directions to close torture cells, about 150 such cells have been established by the City police alone. “When there is a violation of Article 14 (inviolability of dignity of a man) of the Constitution the Supreme Court cannot sit silent,” Justice Javed had observed, adding the Punjab government should create awareness among police officers about fundamental provisions of the PPC and the CrPC and should consider bringing amendments to the syllabus being taught at the Sihala Police Training Centre. According to reference section of TheNation, Khiali Shahpur of Gujranwala policemen killed one Nazir after his three sons exchanged harsh words with police. Police picked Nazir, implicated him in a liquor case and subjected to severe torture who later was shifted to hospital where he breathed his last. A 50-year-old Akbar Khan was allegedly tortured to death by Harbanspura police, who was arrested on drug trafficking allegations. A week before this incident, SHO Samanabad had allegedly gunned down a youth on personal grudge.
In Chiniot, policemen brutally flogged five accused publicly after stripping their clothes. The incident was termed as “Shame on the Police” by former IG Punjab Tariq Saleem Dogar.
In another incident, the City Police Station, Pasrur, also tortured to death one Ghulam Farid, who was picked on Feb 26, 2010 in narcotics case.
A 30-year-old man, who was subjected to torture in public by the Baghbanpura police on January 30, 2010, was identified as Nadeem Masih, son of Makanda Masih, a resident of Shahjahan Street, Naseerabad.
Sub-Inspector Akram of Gulshan-e-Ravi Police Station killed one constable Asif and threw his body in an open drain in the Sandah area as he was tortured to death by the SI in a private torture cell in Sherakot.
Kahna police tortured Tanvir, student of class 9th to recover a murder weapon which has already been handed over to the police by the actual killer when he surrendered.
Moreover, a 30-year-old labourer namely Pervaiz Masih alias Shaoka, a resident of Harbanspura, was allegedly thrashed by the police concerned and died on the spot minutes after police arrested him red handed.
On September 25, 2010 an old man was killed shortly after the police fired teargas shells to disperse angry protesters who had blocked Ferozepur Road to denounce the killing of a 30-year-old Abdul Sattar, a resident of Alo Village, in police custody in Burki police custody.
On October 10, 2010, another case of police injustice was unearthed after the city police put an innocent 27-year-old Aslam Manzoor, a tailor, and a resident of Firdous Market in Gulberg III, under illegal detention, and later, after he failed to pay a bribe Rs 0.2 million, they set him ablaze at the Naseerabad Police Station.
On May 2, 2011, a youth Naveed alias Sunny, also son of a constable, who was taken into police custody over his alleged involvement in murders and a dacoity, was tortured to death by the Lower Mall Police.
