The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday mandated police protection for a family that was violently attacked in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) neighborhood. The court was hearing a petition seeking to nullify an FIR filed against the victim, Noor ul Ain, and her brother. During the proceedings, notices were issued to the involved parties.
The hearing was postponed until September 21, with the court instructing the respondents to submit their responses by then. The FIR in question was registered following the incident that took place in DHA’s Khayaban-e-Bukhari area, where the woman and her brother have challenged the case against them.
CCTV footage from the scene captured a woman descending the stairs of an apartment building accompanied by uniformed police officers, holding a dumbbell. The video showed her repeatedly striking Noor, who was standing outside a flat. Meanwhile, a sessions court has also issued notices to police officials in response to an application requesting the registration of a case against those accused of assaulting the family. This hearing has been deferred to September 2.
The affected family has provided their statement at the office of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South. DIG South Asad Raza stated that the investigation is being conducted transparently and will be based on merit. The viral footage revealed that when Noor resisted the attack, the police officers restrained her and her companion rather than the assailant. Additionally, a person in civilian clothes was seen taking an officer’s official weapon and using it to damage a CCTV camera.
Karachi Police Chief Azad Khan took notice of the incident and requested a detailed report concerning the alleged misconduct of the police officers shown in the viral video. He ordered the relevant authorities to provide a comprehensive account of the officers’ behavior during the event.
