Bahawalnagar incident: Punjab Police clarify reports of confrontation with Pakistan Army

The Punjab Police on Thursday issued a statement on the Bahawalnagar incident, dispelling the impression of a confrontation of the Pakistan Army and the Punjab Police.

In the explanatory statement, the Punjab Police said the Bahawalnagar incident was blown out of proportion on social media and presented out of context. It said that an impression was created that there was a confrontation between the Punjab Police and the Pakistan Army. It said that both sides launched an urgent investigation after unverified information was shared on social media.

It said that both sides anlysed the facts collected during the incident and resolved the issue amicably. It said the Pakistan Army and the Punjab Police were carrying out joint raids to eliminate terrorists and criminals across the province. It appealed to the people not to listen to the propaganda posts on social media.

A video of a clash between personnel of the Punjab Police and the Pakistan Army went viral on social media this week. Police said they had raided a house to arrest a man wanted in a criminal case. The family of the suspect accused the police of violating the sanctity of the house and subjecting the family members to torture. 

Police said the family members of the suspect had taken the raid police team hostage and subjected them to torture. In consequence, the police registered a case against 23 members of the suspect's family, including women.