Eleven Pakistan police officers have been suspended for the “mistreatment” of protesters, officials said Monday, after videos showed women being roughly handled including one dragged away by her hands and feet during a protest near the Karachi Press Club.
Videos circulating online also showed several journalists being beaten with sticks and one television reporter put in a headlock.
Competing protests over the incendiary charge of blasphemy were held in the mega city of Karachi on Sunday, despite not having permission from authorities, when clashes broke out.
Ali Rashid, spokesperson for Sindh provincial government told AFP, that “police officers who mishandled the situation have been suspended”.
Senior police official in the city Syed Asad Raza added that five men and five women officers were suspended along with an inspector “due to the mistreatment towards women and their lack of professionalism”.
Human rights activists and members of a popular feminist party staged a rally over the rising number of blasphemy cases – a charge that carries a death sentence.
A far-right religious party that has pushed for harsher enforcement of blasphemy laws attempted to hold a counter rally at the same location outside the city’s press club.
Police said 57 members of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan party were arrested and the government spokesman said one member died.
“Both parties broke the law. They broke barricades and went ahead with the protest,” said Raza, adding that the groups had been asked to postpone the rallies until after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit which begins in Islamabad on Tuesday.
He said “everyone has the right to protest” but raised concerns about the security situation, following a deadly attack on a convoy of Chinese nationals earlier this month.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Pakistan on Monday for bilateral talks ahead of the SCO which will be attended by eight prime ministers including Russia’s Mikhail Mishustin as well as Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
