A labourer protest against dealer's alleged fraud

LAHORE: A man climbed up an electric pole on Saturday in protest against a property dealer’s alleged fraud.

Labourer Shabbir Ali alias Multani, 35, a resident of Dubbanpura, was protesting against a property dealer who allegedly gave him fake property documents for a one-marla plot against a payment of Rs150,000.

Dozens of people gathered around the pole and advised him to climb down but he refused.

The Sharif Sindhu station house officer arrived at the scene a few hours later and negotiated with the man for two hours. When he finally climbed down, he was taken to the police station where officials registered his complaint. They also arrested him under Section 325 (attempt to commit suicide) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The labourer told the police that he paid a property dealer for a plot. He said when he realised he had been given fake property papers, he asked the dealer to return his money. He said the dealer refused. Ali said he then approached city officials to resolve his problem but was ignored.

DIG police (Operations) Rai Muhammad Tahir ordered the police to solve the man’s problems.

Climbing up electricity or phone towers and threatening to jump off has become an increasingly common form of protest in the last few years. It has had some success, particularly when television cameras have showed up at the scene and broadcast the unfolding drama live.

Last June, a woman climbed up an electricity pole in Model Town to protest the alleged illegal occupation of her plot. Two such protests took place near the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz office in Model Town’s H Block just ahead of the general elections in May, by party activists to protest the allocation of tickets. The electricity pole used for these protests was later removed.

In March, a woman had climbed up an electricity pole near Liberty Market to protest against the police. In September last year, a guard employed by the Model Town Society had stayed atop a pole for three hours demanding that the society withdraw penalties imposed him for long absences. The society accepted his demands. Also last year, a rickshaw driver climbed up a pole to protest at being ticketed by the police. He was later followed by ten others.