ISLAMABAD: Police on Friday resorted to baton charge on protesters who took to the streets against alleged rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl.

The family members of the girl along with relatives and neighbours had been protesting since Thursday at Bhara Kahu. On Friday, the police resorted to baton charge and arrested over a dozen protesters.

A relative of the victim girl, who lodged the complaint with the police for registration of a case, told Dawn that so far the police had failed to arrest the suspect.

Instead of taking a complaint from us, the police handed us a written complaint and asked us to submit the same for the registration of a case, he said, adding there were some issues over the content of the FIR as the complaint had been written by the police.

“The police are also pressuring and harassing us to withdraw the rape charge from the complaint,” the relative said, adding the suspect was not being arrested deliberately.

They raided our houses and that of our relatives and neighbours, harassing female family members besides searching the houses, he said.

“We staged a protest over the police highhandedness and attitude on Thursday at Bhara Kahu and blocked the road. On Friday, traders, neighbours and others also joined the protest against the police. However, the police resorted to baton charge and dispersed the protesters.”

Besides, the police also arrested over a dozen protesters and shifted them to the police station, he said, adding: “Now I am going to the police station to get all those arrested released.”

The relative of the victim said he met the SP city and expressed reservations over the content of the FIR and harassment of the protesters. In response, the SP assured him that his reservations would be addressed, the relative added.

Earlier, the protesters blocked the road at Bhara Kahu. Police reached the spot and snatched banners and placards from the protesters and tore them.

They asked the protesters to disperse and over their refusal resorted to baton charge them besides arresting some of the protesters.

The police also arrested a media person and shifted him to the police station.

Published in Dawn, May 27TH, 2023