Joint inquiry committee to probe Bahawalnagar incident: ISPR

A joint inquiry committee comprising security and police officials will investigate the Bahawalnagar incident to ascertain the facts and apportion responsibility, the military’s media affairs wing said on Friday.

“To ensure a fair and deliberate inquiry, and to determine responsibility for violation of laws and misuse of authority, a joint inquiry comprising security and police officials will be conducted for ascertaining the facts and apportioning responsibility,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

The ISPR said “unfortunate incident in Bahawalnagar” was promptly addressed and “resolved through collaborative efforts of military and police authorities".

"Despite this, certain factions with vested motives started fanning vitriolic propaganda on social media to create divisions between state institutions and government departments," said the statement.

Police statement

Meanwhile, the Punjab Police also dispelled the impression of a confrontation between the Pakistan Army and the police.

“The Bahawalnagar incident was blown out of proportion on social media and presented out of context,” the Punjab police said.

It refuted the notion of confrontation between the two institutions, saying both sides analysed 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.

Bahawalnagar incident

Videos emerged recently showing Pakistan Army soldiers allegedly assaulting police officers at a police station in Bahawalnagar. The cause of the incident is unclear, with some reports suggesting it stemmed from police detaining a soldier’s relative.

Meanwhile, the family of the suspect accused the police of violating the sanctity of the house and subjecting the family members to torture.