Police torture of professor Arbab sparks condemnation

PESHAWAR: The police torture on a senior and respectable professor of the University of Peshawar, Dr Arbab Khan Afridi, has provoked widespread condemnation and academicians as well as students have demanded of the provincial government, top judiciary and police high ups to impartially probe the matter and award punishment to those involved in tormenting and insulting the teacher.

According to Dr Arbab Khan Afridi, he was alone in a small market opposite the University of Peshawar to buy some vegetables the other day when he received a severe blow with baton on his back. “When I looked back, I saw a policeman beating me harshly. After four to five blows with quick succession, I fell down and became unconscious,” he said when reached by The News on phone.

Instead of rushing him to the hospital, the police took him to the Town Police Station where they insisted on registering a case against him, he said. “Nobody was listening to me. I was not aware of any violation committed by me and insisted them to show me the reason for insulting and torturing me. My body was aching and I felt severe pain in my arm which was later found to have been fractured,” Arbab Khan Afridi said. After some time in the police station, his lawyer arrived and got him free. “I then lodged complaints with the police high ups to look into the matter or at least tell me about my mistake but to no avail,” he said. “Today some police personnel visited my house. They were saying that they were inquiring the matter. I recorded my statement with them,” said the 66-year-old retired professor. Dr Arbab Khan Afridi served as director of the Institute of Education and Research (IER), University of Peshawar.