Punjab Assembly wastes two hours on an SHO’s conduct with MPA

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Babar Dogar
PPP-PML-Q parliamentarians jointly boycotted assembly proceedings, pointed out quorum and criticized government for patronising an SHO who had allegedly attacked the residence of a PPP MPA.

The Punjab Assembly wasted two precious hours just to discuss conduct of an SHO who had allegedly entered the residence of a PPP parliamentarian to rescue his bother-in-law who had attacked the PPP legislator’s residence.

PPP parliamentarian Dr Asad Maozzam from Faisalabad immediately drew the attention of the House towards police highhandedness. He alleged that the brother-in-law of Mansoorabad SHO had attacked his residence in Faisalabad when male family members were away. He said he rushed to his residence on receiving information and nabbed one of the accused. “We called local SHO for the arrest of the accused but he refused to arrest him. Afterwards, the Mansoorabad SHO arrived at my residence, got the arrested accused released on gunpoint and left,” he said. He said he approached Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif through Finance Minister Tanveer Ashraf Kaira and the CM directed the IGP to inquire into the matter. Dr Asad alleged that SSP Faisalabad Rana Iqbal in his inquiry held his 75-year-old father responsible for kidnapping the brother-in-law of Mansoorabad SHO instead of mentioning the fact that it was he who had attacked his residence.

Dr Asad alleged that SSP Rana Iqbal was serving at Faisalabad for the last 13 years. He said the Faisalabad DIG and the Faisalabad SSP were encouraging police encounters and they had appointed SHO who were ‘encounter specialists’. He alleged that the Mansoorabad SHO was transferred but the incumbent DIG ‘managed’ his posting at Faisalabad. He said the DIG had already conveyed to him that he had appointed the said SHO and he would not transfer him under pressure.

He regretted that despite orders from the CM, the local police had neither probed into the matter nor approached him to visit the crime scene. He warned that he would observe hunger strike unto death on the stairs of the assembly if a parliamentary committee to probe the issue was not constituted within 24 hours.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Iqbal told him to follow rules and procedures and forward him a privilege motion so that action could be initiated after a probe. He said the law minister was not present in the House to respond to his queries.

After the speaker responded, PPP and PML-Q parliamentarians jointly walked out of the house. Afterwards, PML-Q forward bloc member Najaf Sayyal pointed out the quorum and the speaker directed the assembly staff to toll bells for five minutes. Speaking at the moment, PML-N parliamentarian Khawaja Imran criticized PPP parliamentarians for giving irresponsible statements against the provincial government.

He said PPP ministers were criticising the provincial government because it could not arrest the killers of a PPP leader within 24 hours. He said they had not made any such demand from the PPP-led federal government which had failed to probe the murder of Benazir Bhutto.

PPP and PML-Q parliamentarians ended their boycott and joined the proceedings after the ruling party met the quorum. Speaking on a point of order, Adviser to CM Sardar Zulifqar Khosa stated it was government’s duty to ensure the respect of parliamentarians. He announced constituting a committee to probe into the issue

The committee will be headed by the law minister with Ashraf Sohna and Nadeem Kamran, Muhammad Hussain Dogar and Dr Asad Ashraf will be committee members. The committee was urged to submit its report until Monday. He said opposition parliamentarians had just added fuel to fire.

Opposition leader Chaudhry Zaheer criticized the provincial government for its inability to control law and order in the province. He alleged the provincial government had engaged the entire police for facilitating the participants of Long March and had given a free hand to robbers. He alleged the government was wasting money in media campaigns against nazims but it could not snub nazims’ voices. At the end, Dr Asad thanked the chair for holding a parliamentary inquiry into the incident.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=160580