SIALKOT: A police official was filmed beating a woman on Monday on the Daska judicial complex premises.

The footage, which went viral on social media sites and was broadcast by TV channels, shows Satrah police station’s Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Sarwar Dogar repeatedly slapping the woman, identified as Zakia Bibi, in the presence of several onlookers.

Dawn learned the ASI had brought Saania Akhtar, the daughter-in-law of Zakia, to produce her before Civil Judge Waqas Hashmi. Saania was reportedly rescued by police from her captors after three months of abduction.

Zakia told Dawn the police official was teasing Saania and when she confronted him, the official humiliated her in front of the public. She alleged the police were keeping Saania at the all-male police station. She said her daughter-in-law had been kidnapped three months ago, and now instead of arresting the kidnappers, the police were harassing them in the case.

Police, however, said Zakia along with some other women, tried to get Saania free and beat the officials. District Police Officer Dr Abid Khan ordered a probe into the matter.

PROCESSION: A large number of people, including lawyers, participated in a procession in Sialkot in protest at the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims by the Myanmar regime on Monday.

Bar President Tahir Rauf Ahmed led the procession which began from the new judicial complex and ended at Fawara Chowk. Later, the bar also unanimously passed a resolution against the Myanmar regime.

ONIONS: The prices of onions have soared by 300 per cent in the markets of Sialkot in the last four days.

According to vendors, the price surge was caused due to the shortage of onion supplies.

Vendors are selling onion at Rs160 per kilogramme, which was available at Rs40 about four days ago. People have demanded that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif look into the matter.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2017