In a major internal crisis in Pakistan, its army and Police department recently had a violent clash in Punjab province’s Bahawalnagar during the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations. Several videos of the clash have surfaced on social media in which Army personnel can be seen storming a police station. The Pakistan Army personnel then went on to brutally assault cops, humiliate them, and make them kneel as the injured cops were seen bleeding. As per Pakistan media reports, the drama unfolded on the day when the Islamic nation was marking Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations.
بہاولنگر کا معمولی واقعہ pic.twitter.com/mcSam6ZdHs
— Muhammad Umair (@MohUmair87) April 10, 2024
Punjab Police helplessly kneels down in front of Pakistan army. It shows that as you sow so shall you reap.Punjab Police
— Matin Khan (@matincantweet) April 10, 2024
is getting the taste of their own sweets which they made up of injustices and fascisms. #PakistanUnderFascism pic.twitter.com/Da9UJDvnut
‘Charh jaaye te mushqil lathdi Bootan di sarkar’.
— Man Aman Singh Chhina (@manaman_chhina) April 11, 2024
Pakistan Army thrashing Punjab Police cops in Bahawalnagar yesterday. pic.twitter.com/0EQM38OqEr
In a sarcastic jibe, Foreign affairs expert, Sushant Sareen described it as “another successful conquest of the Pakistan Army.”
Another successful conquest of the Pakistan Army…in a daring and bold manoeuvre a detachment of the valiant afwaj e Pakistan captured a police station and beat the shit out of cops, who were so impressed with the martial skills, spirit and traditions of the soldiers that they… https://t.co/1Npw7QoKLQ
— sushant sareen (@sushantsareen) April 12, 2024
Following the violent clash, the Pakistan Army and Punjab police announced a joint investigation, after a string of videos of the clash went viral. As per Pakistan outlets, the clash erupted after local police recovered an illegal weapon from the relative of a soldier and detained him.
Meanwhile, both the Pakistan security institutions, Army and Police, downplayed the clashes. While the Punjab Police said fake propaganda was being spread on social media, the Army called it a “face-off”, however, the videos of the clash show otherwise.
In one such viral video, three Pakistani policemen are seen kneeling on the ground. In the video, they can be heard pleading before the army personnel to leave them and stop humiliating and torturing them. In another video, a man can be seen lying on the ground with a bleeding nose. In many of these videos, the army personnel are seen stomping on cops lying on the ground.
In another viral video, two cops are seen running to save their lives inside a police station but the Pakistani Army ultimately nabs them.
According to a PTI report, the injured police personnel were taken to a nearby hospital but interestingly, their medico-legal examination was not shared.
What led to the violent clash between Pakistan Army and Police
As per Pakistani media reports, on 7th April, an ASI and an SHO (station house officer) of Madressah police raided the house of one Mohammad Anwar. They went there to arrest his son Rafaqat as he allegedly possessed an unlicensed pistol.
However, Anwar’s other son Mohammad Khaleel, who is an Army official, along with his family members held the two policemen as hostages. Incidentally, the video of the same was also uploaded on social media.
Later on, a police team reached Anwar’s residence to rescue their police officers – SHO and ASI. It is alleged that the police team went on to torture Anwar’s family members and arrested him and his sons. Police also ransacked their house. The videos of this had also gone viral.
Later, the Madressah police booked 23 family members of Mohammad Anwar following police attack on them. However, when the Bahawalnagar district police officer learned about the matter, they conducted an inquiry, and the ASI and SHO who led the controversial raid on Anwar’s house were arrested. They have been charged with illegal detention and also for holding the soldier at the police station for more than 24 hours rather than presenting him before a magistrate.
Citing sources, PTI reported that the Punjab police personnel allegedly demanded money from those detained for their release.
Ugly scenes erupted after Eid prayers on 11th April when around 50 to 60 Army personnel from the Bahawalnagar Brigade, in 10 vehicles, stormed the Madressah police station. In their bid to release the arrested army official and his family members, the Army men went on to severely torture the cops.
In a statement, the Punjab Police downplayed the incident, alleging that it was taken out of context and exaggerated. The statement said, “Fake propaganda is being made on social media… The episode is being presented in a way to imply that there has been fighting between the Pakistan Army and Punjab Police.”
“When the unverified videos went viral, both institutions launched a joint investigation. Officers from both institutions reviewed the facts and peacefully resolved the matter,” Punjab Police added.
According to Dawn’s report, four personnel of Madressah police, including the station house officer, have been booked and arrested.
The media affairs wing of the Pakistani Army called the Bahawalnagar incident “unfortunate”. It said that the incident was promptly addressed and resolved through collaborative efforts of military and police authorities.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, “Despite this, certain factions with vested motives started fanning vitriolic propaganda on social media to create divisions between state institutions and government departments.”
