June 19, 2026
By Hafiz Ullah Storai Sherani
ISLAMABAD
A sub-inspector has been arrested and sent to prison for allegedly torturing a suspect in custody and chaining his legs inside the investigation room of the Shams Colony Police Station in the federal capital. The legal action against SI Tasneem was initiated after a video of the incident went viral on social media and drew the attention of senior police officials.
Legal proceedings
The formal case was registered only after the video went viral on social media and gained public attention, prompting senior police officials to order the registration of the FIR and the arrest of the sub-inspector. According to media reports, police stations in Islamabad are linked with the Safe City system; nonetheless, this illegal activity failed to be detected by the monitoring mechanism.
Taking action on the incident, a case has been registered against the involved police officer under Section 155-C of the Police Order 2002 (misuse of authority and custodial torture) and Section 506(ii) of the Pakistan Penal Code (criminal intimidation).
According to the FIR registered at the same police station, the Shams Colony SHO, Rashid Mahmood, along with the station clerk (Moharrar), inspected the lock-up area of the police station. During this inspection, they found the detained suspect, Shahzad Masih, a resident of Gujrat district inside the investigation room, where the sub inspector had allegedly tied his legs with chains.
Masih had been taken into custody in connection with a motorcycle theft case registered on April 9, 2026, outside the CTTI College. During the inspection, a private individual who works as an iron rod welder was also found present in the investigation room. According to the text of the FIR, Sub-Inspector Tasneem, in collusion with this private individual, Naweed ur Rehman, misusing his authority, bound the suspect with chains, and subjected him to torture.
Public backlash and criticism on social media
The video of the incident went viral on social media, followed with severe criticism erupting almost instantly regarding police authority, particularly concerning the torture of detainees inside police stations. Users expressed deep outrage over the violation of custody laws.
یہ دیکھیں اسلام آباد کے تھانہ شمس کالونی میں کیا کچھ ہو رہا ہے!
ایک بے بس انسان کو زنجیروں میں جکڑ کر زمین پر پھینک دیا گیا ہے جیسے کوئی جانور ہو، اور پولیس والا آرام سے بیٹھا ٹک ٹاک ویڈیوز بنا رہا ہے۔
کیا یہ پولیس ہے یا فرعونوں کا طرزِ عمل؟ @ICT_Police
اس بے گناہ کی فوری… pic.twitter.com/ZKM553GEzZ
— TARIQ MASOOD BUTT🇵🇰 (@BUTT_566) June 19, 2026
Similarly, another social media user and political activist associated with the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), Shair Bano , condemned the incident, writing:
“This is extreme cruelty; the government must take strict action against such policemen.”
اسلام آباد پولیس تھانوں میں شہریوں کو بند کرکے پرائیویٹ لوگوں کو ان پر ظلم کرنے کے لیے چھوڑ دیتی ہے
جو تشدد کرنے کے بعد لپ اسٹک والا فلٹر لگا کر دھڑلے سے ویڈیو بنا کر بھی اپلوڈ کر رہے ہیں ، آخر انہیں کو کی پشت پناہی حاصل ہے جو بغیر کسی خوف کے ہر غیر قانونی کام کر رہے ہیں pic.twitter.com/FVFaIdGuvs
— Muqadas Farooq Awan (@muqadasawann) June 17, 2026
Conflicting reports
According to some media reports, Naweed ur Rehman, was released without any legal action. However, when Voicepk contacted the IO of the case, SI Niaz Muhammad, via telephone, it was discovered that his number was unreachable despite the fact that he had only just answered a call and had been questioned about the incident. The phone remained switched off until the filing of this story.
On the other hand, regarding the current legal status of the case, Shams Colony Police ASI Wazir Hayat abruptly told Voicepk that the, ‘court had sent both suspects to jail in the case registered against them’. He did not however specify exactly which two individuals had been sent to jail—whether it was Naweed-ur-Rehman, who had been involved in the torture, or the alleged suspect arrested on motorcycle theft charges, Shahzad Masih.