Six cases filed against lawyers, journalists
ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: Six cases have been registered against lawyers, opposition activists and journalists in different police stations for allegedly attempting to kidnap MNA Dr Farooq Sattar, violating section 144, and attacking the motorcade of Punjab chief minister, the minister of state for information and the police.”
In the first FIR, the police have booked four journalists for beating and thrashing Minister of State for Information Tariq Azeem in front of the Election Commission office.
Mr. Azeem was thrashed by an angry mob in the presence of police personnel, who kept themselves away from the incident and did not rescue him.
Later, some people in plain clothes helped him board a police van to leave the scene. The case was registered on the complaint of Mr. Azeem, sources in the police department said.
A kidnapping case was registered in the Aabpara police station on the complaint of MNA Dr. Farooq Sattar of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
Dr. Sattar alleged that Hassan Raza Pasha, Junaid Khokar, Laeeq Khan, Shaukat Satti, Kamran, Chaudhry Zafar, Raja Shahid and M.A. Khan attacked him at the Federal Government Services Hospital.
The accused tried to kidnap me at the behest of Ali Ahmed Kurd, Munir A. Malik, Tariq Mehmood and Hamid Khan, Dr Sattar alleged, adding that they also threatened him with dire consequences.
The police arrested six lawyers – Hassan Raza Pasha, Junaid Khokar, Laeeq Khan, Shaukat Satti, Kamran, and Chaudhry Zafar.
The third case was registered in the Secretariat police station on the complaint of its SHO, Inspector Khurshid Khan, against lawyers for attacking the motorcade of Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on the Constitution Avenue.
The police arrested Chaudhry Zamir, Abdul Majeed, Chaudhry Rafiq, Abdul Hanif, Kamran Ilyas, Chaudhry Naveed, Sohail Tariq, Malik Saqib, Mohammad Irfan and Shamraiz Ali along with some other lawyers.
Another case was lodged with the Kohsar police station on the compliant of its SHO, Inspector Ashraf Shah, against the APDM workers for violating section 144, chanting slogans against the government and beating an official of the Special Branch, besides snatching a wireless set from him at the Express Chowk.
The case was registered against 100-150 unidentified people.
A separate case was registered in the Aabpara police station on the complaint of Sub-inspector Awais Mohammad, who stated that scores of persons tried to proceed towards the Election Commission office in violation of section 144.
They were also chanting anti-government slogan. However, the police arrested Dr Imtiaz Ahmad, Shabbir Ahmad, Attaur Rehman, Chaudhry Musaddiq, Mohammad Naeem, Chaudhry Sadiq Ali, Munir Ahmad, Malik Mansoor, Aslam Pervez, Imtiaz Gul, Chaudhry Mohammad Zamir, Mohammad Zahid, Mohammad Awais, Dr Mohammad Abdullah, Rana Mehmoodul Hassan.
Another case was registered in the Secretariat police station on the complaint of its SHO against the workers of the Pakistan People’s Party on violations of section 144.
The SHO stated that 15-20 people carrying PPP flags chanted slogans in front of the Election Commission office. The police arrested Naeem Ijaz, Shahnaz, Sofia, Najma, Rukhsana, Sidra Shakeel, Zaibun Nisa and Rina Malik.
Meanwhile, five lawyers – Shaukat Mohammad Satti, Junaid Akhter Khokar, Chaudhry Zafar Ahmad, Malik Kamran and Laeeq Khan – have been sent to Adiala Jail on judicial remand.
Probe ordered: The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Islamabad, Syed Morvet Ali Shah, on Sunday ordered an inquiry into the September 29 incident outside the Election Commission to which he was an eyewitness along with SSP Islamabad Dr Naeem Khan.
The IGP appointed SSP headquarters Taimur Ali Khan to probe into the incident and submit a report based on ‘facts’ within a week.
SSP Taimur was deployed inside the Election Commission building and he did not leave the premises till the end of the drama unfolding on the Constitution Avenue.
The IGP and SSP Naeem not only witnessed the whole episode of police highhandedness, which occurred in their supervision, but also remained a silent spectator to the brutality.
The two senior police officers also turned down all verbal complaints lodged by dozens of journalists about the police action and did not take any action against their subordinates.
The SSP on the occasion told the journalists to identify those policemen who had victimised them and they would be suspended. However, he did not move an inch with the mediapersons to trace the accused.
Hundreds of personnel of the anti-terrorist squad (ATS), Islamabad police and recruits were let loose on the lawyers protesting against acceptance of Gen Pervez Musharraf’s nomination papers and media persons covering the event for over four hours.
Source: Dawn
Date:10/1/2007
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