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Amid custodial torture cases, Punjab police bans use of mobile phones while on duty
[DAWN] The Punjab 1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard 2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers 3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots.... police has banned the use of cellphones by officers while on duty and barred them from capturing videos of other police personnel on duty, it emerged on Monday. Tell us again how people are being mistreated in Kashmire. The regulation comes after several cases came to light in recent days of suspects dying in the custody of Punjab police due to alleged torture. A communiqué sent to all Punjab coppers by the additional inspector general on behalf of the Punjab IG, seen by Dawn.com, stated that it had been observed that police officials were using mobile phones while on duty even though "clear directions in this regard have already been conveyed to all field formations". "Frequent violations of these directions/SOPs reflect badly on the performance of supervising officers," it said, stressing that it was the responsibility of the field formations to get the instructions implemented "in letter and spirit". "In future, no officer below the rank of SHO (Station House Officer) or in-charge of a deployed duty will use cellphone while on duty," the letter decreed. It also said that it was "strictly forbidden" to make a video of coppers on duty or upload a video of coppers performing their duty. Any violations of the order will entail "severe departmental action" against the police personnel involved and their supervisory officer, it added. At least three cases had come to light last week of deaths caused by alleged police torture, and videos had gone viral on social media of some suspects in a distressed state while in police custody. On September 1, Salahuddin Ayubi, a man who was said to be mentally disabled, had died in police custody in Rahim Yar Khan. On the same day, a middle-aged man had passed away in Lahore after allegedly being tortured by Gujjarpura police in an illegal torture cell that was unearthed last month. Related: Rahim Yar Khan: 2019-09-06 Lahore ASI arrested for 'offensive behaviour' towards elderly woman Rahim Yar Khan: 2019-09-06 Lahore ASI arrested for 'offensive behaviour' towards elderly woman Rahim Yar Khan: 2019-09-05 Suspected ATM robber was subjected to torture by police, says lawyer Related: Gujjarpura: 2019-09-04 6 Lahore police officials booked after another man dies from alleged torture Gujjarpura: 2019-08-28 ‘Torture cell’ run by SHO, constables unearthed in Lahore Gujjarpura: 2016-09-14 Man strangles wife over suspicion Posted by: Fred 2019-09-10 |
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