LAHORE: A head-constable of the Police Response Unit(PRU)allegedlyslapped a pastor over the `misuse` of loudspeaker in the United Church in Fazlia Colony, Shadman, here on Sunday.

Pastor Riaz Rehmat was busy in Sunday service when he heard altercation between a policeman and a security guard.

He said they suspended the service and approached the policeman who introduced himself as head-constable Ameer Abdullah of a PRU patrolling team.

Upon asking the policeman why he wanted to check the church, he replied the pastor that they received a call on police helpline 15 that the loudspeaker was being usedforthe Sunday service.

The pastor told the policeman that only internal speaker of the church was being used for the Sunday service and theexternalspeakerhadnotbeenused.

Mr Rehmat said the policeman was not satisfied and barged into the church along with his shoes and started shouting on the people busy in the Sunday service. He requested the policeman to calm down as the service was undergoing.

He said the policeman did not stop, started abusing him and also threatened him of dire consequences.

The pastor said the people asked the policeman to show some respect, but he got enraged and started slapping him. The devotees managed to expelthe policeman from the church.

Later, scores of Christians blocked the Ferozepur Road for more than two hours in protest against the policeman for misbehaving and slapping the pastor.

The protesters dispersed when Model Town SP Amara Ather along with a heavy police contingent reached there and assured them that action would be taken against the policeman if he was found guilty in an inquiry.

Area resident Samuel said last month Shabbir Shah had called the police helpline 15 and lodged a baseless complaint against the church for the misuse of loudspeaker.

He claimed that Shah had already misreported the police on two occa-sions that the church was misusing the loudspeaker, but no action was taken against him.

Area residents and pastor Riaz demanded action against the policeman.

Mujahid Force SP Syed Karar Husain said that a departmental inquiry would be held against the head-constable.

SP Amara Athar said head-constable Ameer Abdullah had been suspended from service and a departmental inquiry was initiated against him.

She said the record of 15 calls was being checked whether suspect Shabbir Shah had made similar calls before. She said a case would be registered after investigation.