Cops 'sewed prisoner's lips'

2005-06-24 10:45

Multan - Pakistani authorities ordered a probe on Friday into claims that police sewed up a suspect's lips to stop him screaming obscenities, officials said.

Policemen allegedly used a needle and jute yarn to silence the man when he fought with a fellow prisoner, tore an officer's shirt and shouted while being taken to court on Thursday in dusty Vehari, near the central city of Multan.

"I have ordered an inquiry into the sewing of the lips of an under-trial prisoner, Muhammad Hussain, to keep his mouth shut," Multan deputy inspector general of police Malik Muhammad Iqbal said.

Another local official speaking on condition of anonymity said police tied the suspect to a pillar and beat him but resorted to the gruesome needlework when he kept hurling abuse at them.

Hussain, facing trial over a fight between rival groups, badly damaged his lips when he then tried to speak again, he said,

"The policemen responsible will not be spared," Iqbal said.

Brutal treatment in police custody is not uncommon in Pakistan, where police are often accused of abusing their powers and taking bribes.

- AFP