LAHORE – Numerous police torture scenes were witnessed when the students and transporters staged a massive protest demonstration against the recent increase in fares and ban on mini buses at Ferozepur Road near Lahore General Hospital on Monday.
Police personnel in their traditional way launched torture on the protesters instead of trying to disperse them peacefully, an eyewitness Imran said.
Police, however, maintained that they tired to disperse the protesters but the crowd turned violent and burnt six buses, besides breaking windowpanes of some vehicles.
A severe brickbat and baton-charge also took place, which, left many protesters and few policemen injured.
Protesting the ban on mini vans and their replacement with busses, students and transporters kept the Ferozepur Road blocked for more than three hours. They also burnt tyres on the road.
The protesters went berserk when a police party headed by DSP Nasir Mahmood Bajwa tried to disperse the protesters but a few of them pounced at the DSP and an ASI. They allegedly thrashed the DSP and also torn down uniform of two policemen.
Later, heavy contingents of the police reached the spot with shields and sticks in their hands and attacked the protesters, who started pelting stones at the police, which also retaliated in the same way.
Model Town Police Station SP Rana Ayaz Saleem said that FIR would be registered against the accused for creating unrest and attacking the police party. He, however, maintained that no case was registered and no one was arrested so far.