The Punjab government on September 21 during a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rally in Kahanna for allegedly misbehaving with the family of a Lahore High Court judge at a ring road interchange blocked for ‘security reasons’. Two senior police officers have been transferred and one has been suspended.
According to a Dawn News report, the incident took place around 6:30 pm at Colonel (Retd) Arif Mehmood Interchange near village Kumhan, which was closed by the police for security purposes as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Kahna on the same day. TI) public meeting was being held.
Among the police officers who faced punishment are Security SP Khalid Mehmood Afzal, DSP Fakhar Raja of Kahna Circle and SHO Nadeem Kamboh of Milsum Town.
An official aware of this development says that the action against the officials was initiated in the light of the inquiry of Lahore Organized Crime Unit (OCU) DIG Imran Kishor.
They say the DIG called the three police officers, reviewed the videos of Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) cameras, the statements of the police personnel posted at the spot and the circumstantial evidence.
The inquiry report recommended the removal of two senior police officers and the suspension of the SHO, holding them primarily responsible for misbehavior with the family of a high court judge.
The official said that police officials stopped Justice Anwar Hussain’s official vehicle, in which his family was travelling, at the interchange which was blocked by a container. He said the Muslim Town SHO, who was on duty at the spot, refused to allow the judge’s family to enter the interchange citing ‘security reasons’.
The official said that the judge’s family insisted on removing the barrier from the highway as they had to take Lahore Kasur Road.
As the SHO persisted, a family member introduced himself as the son of a high court judge, but the policeman asked him to go back.
Meanwhile, heated words were exchanged between the two sides over the issue as the judge’s family termed the blockade of the public road as a clear violation of the law.
As the SHO allegedly misbehaved with the occupants of the car, one of them recorded a video on a mobile phone and informed the judge about the unauthorized road blockade by the police.
DSP Fakhar Raja, who was also present, contacted the family and politely informed them that the policemen were bound to follow the department’s instructions, the official said.
Meanwhile, SP Security also tried to handle the situation after the judge’s family told them that the SHO had earlier ‘misbehaved’ with them and used objectionable language.
As soon as the family returned from the interchange, the judge took up the matter with Punjab Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar.
Sources say that the senior judge also complained to Lahore High Court Chief Justice Alia Neelam about the behavior of the policemen and said that one of them grabbed his son by the collar and took away his mobile phone.
Sources say that after the complaint, the Chief Justice directed the concerned higher authorities to take notice of the police misconduct with the judge’s family.
They say that a DIG and some other senior police officers also went to the judge’s residence and apologized on behalf of the officers concerned.
The IG then referred the matter to Lahore Capital City Police Officer Bilal Siddique Kamiana, who admonished the police officers for their lack of ‘problem handling’ skills during a tight security situation.
On his direction, the DIGOCU then conducted an inquiry and primarily held SHO Nadeem Kumboh responsible for the ‘ill-treatment of the family of a High Court judge’.
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2024-09-28 04:38:38