RAWALPINDI: Two police officials who were allegedly abducted by participants of the Faizabad sit-in on Sunday have said that their kidnappers had threatened to douse them in gasoline and burn them alive but changed their minds after the two officials begged for their lives and the government and leaders of the protest reached an agreement.

Sub-Inspector (SI) Aslam Hayat and and SI Amanat Ali were beaten and left among the bushes along Sohan Road, where they were found on Monday.

“The kidnappers threatened to set us on fire after midnight, but we begged for our lives and assured them that we were not at fault,” recalled SI Ali from his hospital bed at the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital – where he and Mr Hayat were abducted from Sunday night.

Mr Ali was beaten by plastic-coated electric wires and batons by 10 to 15 people. He is currently under observation, but is expected to be released on Wednesday.

Abducted police officials say they were abandoned by kidnappers after govt, protesters reached agreement

Mr Hayat, who is associated with the homicide investigation wing of the Sadiqabad police, was severely beaten and has a fractured left elbow.

He was discharged from hospital on Tuesday and advised by doctors to be on bed rest for at least 35 days.

In a voice strained because of his injuries, Mr Ali recounted that the police officials were held in a makeshift tent near Faizabad, where they were beaten by more than 10 people.

His son Sakhawat Ali, who has been attending to his father at the hospital, told Dawn that the kidnappers also snatched the victims’ mobile phones and wallets, and tore their uniforms.

He said they were not given any meals or water, despite repeated requests. The two men were released after news of an agreement between the government and the protesters reached the kidnappers.

According to a senior police official, although a case was registered against unidentified protesters soon after the two policemen were abducted, an investigation has not begun because nobody has been identified in the FIR and because of the agreement between the government and protesters.

“Finally, the case will be shelved by the police,” he said. The withdrawal of cases will further demoralise the police force, which is already in distress over salaries and facilities, and their seniors’ cold attitude, he added.

Another senior police official said he could not confirm whether any police personnel were still missing. It will be clearer when all the additional police called in from other districts have returned and the counting of police, weapons and wireless sets is complete, he said.

Missing wireless sets are also a matter of concern for the police, since anyone who had such sets in their possession could have overheard police conversations, which would be illegal as well as a security risk.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2017