Police claim actor wanted to see accused being tortured
* Police claim actor wanted to see accused being tortured
* Travel agents association support the accused colleague
LAHORE: Film actor Aisha Haq has accused the Township investigation police of protecting a man who — she alleges — has been harassing her.
Aisha told a press conference at the Lahore Press Club on Friday that the accused, against whom she had lodged an FIR against with the Township police, had tried to kidnap her but she escaped.
She said the accused, Amir Butt, had called her two years ago asking her to act in one of his plays. She said she refused, which angered Amir and he threatened to harm her. She alleged that since that day, Amir had been harassing her.
Haq alleged that on January 16, Butt and his henchmen tried to kidnap her on gunpoint near Iqra Medical Complex on Maulana Shaukat Ali Road. “I started screaming and flaying my arms. I managed to get away,” she said. She said she immediately contacted the Township police and a case was registered against the accused. The actor alleged that Butt then talked to the Township investigation police, after which the police refused to take action against him. She accused Investigation Officer Abdul Rasheed of protecting Butt.
The actor urged senior police officers to start a departmental inquiry against the investigation officer and depute an honest officer to investigate her case.
Investigation Officer Abdul Rasheed alleged that the charges levelled by Haq were false. He claimed that the accused had been arrested and jailed. He claimed that a court had even cancelled his bail. He alleged that Aisha had wanted him to see Butt being tortured, but he refused to do it. “This might be why she is accusing me of taking sides with the accused,” he said.
In a press release issued by the Travel Agents Association of Sialkot (TAAS) on Friday, the travel agents expressed support for their fellow travel agent, Amir Butt. The association claimed that Butt was innocent and accused Haq to extortion.
TAAS general secretary Wajid Ali Sheikh said he would contact other travel agents’ associations of the country to raise the issue to the national level and make sure their colleague gets justice. He said the association would highlight the case so that senior police officers could know the case in detail and ensure justice for Butt.
Source: Daily Times
Date:1/26/2008
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