Balochistan IG threatens The News reporter on women burial issue
ISLAMABAD: A furious Inspector General of Balochistan Police Asif Nawaz apparently had a nervous breakdown on Wednesday when he shouted at this reporter for filing a series of stories in this newspaper to keep the horrible issue of burial of five women alive for the last three weeks.
The tone of IG Nawaz, who made a phone call from Quetta to this reporter, was not only threatening but he also used strong language to express his own views and even made a taunt at one stage, saying: “I have come to know that you Mr Klasra are the new champion of women’s rights in Pakistan.”
The latest report about the desperate attempts of the Balochistan Police bosses to bury the issue carried in The News is said to have affected the nerves of the IG who decided to take his steam out on journalists. The shouting reached the peak when the IG asked: “Tell me which Ullo Ka Pahta has given you the information about the burial of those five women. Who confirmed it to you?”
This correspondent told him that this was unbecoming of an officer of his stature and he should mind his language and should not use objectionable words like “Ullo Ka Patha” (moron). IG emphasised that he would like to know the name of those who had been giving information to this correspondent about five women.
“Give me the name of the man and I would investigate him right now,” the IG said in a threatening tone. When told that perhaps he was not in the habit of reading newspapers or watching television as none other than Provincial minister for Housing Sadiq Umrani had been confirming these killings in his area for the last one month, the IG said he had not read or heard the statements of Sadiq Umrani.
Upon this, he was told that as he now knew the name of the man who had confirmed those killings, he should go and question the PPP minister and his younger brother. But the IG having cold feet said the PPP minister was not telling the truth, as he was only settling his personal scores with his opponent tribesman Sardar Fateh Umrani.
But the IG disclosed that he had already talked to the brother of Sadiq Umrani, who had told him that those girls were brought before him but he had refused to take any action as they did not belong to his tribe.
This correspondent reminded the IG of the fact that he did not have the courage to question those two primary accused of the crime, who were hiding behind political clout. He was also told that the Balochistan Police were blaming and trying unknown people for the crime who were handed over by the influential tribesmen to save the real culprits from the arms of justice.
The IG was also told that from the day one he was denying the occurrence of these killings and was snubbed by the interior secretary for passing wrong information to the ministry last week.
The IG was asked why he did not visit the site of the crime which had shocked the whole of Pakistan and was happy monitoring the proceedings from his comfortable and well-protected office in Quetta.
After finding no replies to the questions, a fuming IG again lost his temper and said: “I know what I have to do and what not. Don’t dictate to me.” When told that if he knew everything, then why was he making a call to this reporter, upon which he replied because: “I have come to know that now you are a new champion of women rights in Pakistan.”
The IG said he had also summoned the reporter of Jang newspaper who had first given story in the Balochistan edition and the reporter had backed out of the story.
“Now it is your turn to come and record your statement and tell us who told you about this whole case,” said the IG in a threatening tone. The clueless IG was also furious over reports that at least three of his handwritten inquiry reports were rejected by Interior Secretary Kamal Shah and Interior Adviser Rehman Malik. This further enraged the IG who advised this correspondent to take a “glass of water” and when told that he was fasting, the phone was banged.
Source: The News
Date:9/11/2008
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