KARACHI: A sessions court on Wednesday directed the DIGEast to appoint a senior police officer to probe a plea seeking FIR against policemen over `unlawful detention` of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Karachi president Raja Azhar and his party members.

Mr Azhar had filed an application under Sections 22-A and 22-B of the CrPC, through his counsel before the additional district and session judge (Malir), seeking FIR against DSP (Malir) and SHO Sohrab Goth police station.

After hearing the counsel from both sides, the court directed theDIG-East to appoint a senior police officer to investigate the incident and submit a report within one month.

According to the PTI`s counsel Zahoor Mehsood, if the inquiry established that the offence is cognisable, the police shall record the applicant`s statement under Section 154 of the CrPC as per court direction. The counsel for the petitioner submitted before the court that on November 8, 2024, his client, along with fellow party members and supporters, had peacefully gathered at a ground opposite Al-Asif Square before departing for a politicalrally in Swabi.

He alleged that DSP (Malir) Chaudhry Sohail Faiz, SHO Wazir Ali Samo, and others, accompanied by other armed officers in civvies, arrived at the scene and manhandled the petitioner and his fellow party members.

He claimed that the officials forcibly detained PTI leaders and supporters and took them to the police station where the police had registered an FIR against them in Sohrab Goth police station. The petition alleged that the police had seized cash of Rs170,000 from the PTI Karachi president at gunpoint while trans-porting him to the police station.

The petitioner claimed that he had approached the concerned police station to lodge an FIR againsttheproposedaccused persons but no action had been taken so far. The counsel contended that SHO Sohrab Goth committed negligence of duty, violated the mandatory provisions of the law and deprived the petitioner of his fundamental rights.

He prayed before the court to direct the respondents to register a complaint against the proposed accused and to provide protection to the petitioner and his family.-Staff Reporter