ISLAMABAD: A senior police officer and an official engaged in physical confrontation on the premises of the Centre Police Office, which houses the offices of the Islamabad police chief and the DIG Headquarters.

Police officials told Dawn the quarrel started after an assistant inspector general (AIG) slapped his subordinate, an assistant subinspector, in his office. Officials claimed that the AIG had summoned the ASI to his office and allegedly verbally abused him despite the latter`s request not to use expletives.

However, the ASI lost his cool and responded to his supedor officer in the same tone, prompting the AIG to slap the junior official. The ASI hit back, leading to a scuffle inside the office. Dudng the altercation, the AIG also lost his glasses. After hearing the commotion, the staff present inside the building rushed to the AIG office to break up the fight.

After the scuffle came to the notice of the police chief, the IGP ordered an inquiry to investigate the incident. IGP Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi said he ordered a high-powered inquiry into the incident. The committee will include DIG Headquarters, the Islamabad Safe City`s director general, and the AIG Legal. The inquiry will establish who started the physical confrontation and what was the reason that led to it.

Police insiders claimed that many senior and supervisory officers are used to humiliating their subordinates, and such incidents are hardly surprising.

In December 2022, a physical confrontation also occurred between a senior superintendent of police working as an AIG with the capital police and personnel of Eagle Squad when the on-duty personnel intercepted and stopped a vehicle on suspicion. After the vehicle was pulled over, a man disembarked, reportedly under the influence of alcohol at that time, and started misbehaving with the police officials.

He introduced himself as a senior police officer, but when the Eagle Squad officials asked him to show his identification, the officer got into a physical altercation. The two personnel, however, beat him up.

Eventually, he was rescued by the DIG and SSP operations who arrived at the scene after a phone call. The Eagle officials were subsequently booked in a misconduct case at the Shalimar police station and imprisoned. However, they were discharged by Judicial Magistrate Riffat Mahmood Khan due to lack of evidence. Munawer Azeem