Shisha ban: Police chief summoned over restaurant raids

Petitioners say police action unlawful, uncalled for.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has summoned Capital City Police Officer Muhammad Aslam Tareen on April 4 in a petition challenging a police raid at two restaurants and stopping them from serving shisha.

Petitioners Danial Arif and Muhammad Arif Saleem, through their counsel Muhammad Ahmed Pansota, submitted that on March 17, 2011, a police team led by the Liberty police SHO raided their restaurants (Sheikhoo’s Café at MM Alam Road owned by Danial Arif, and Café Life at Gaddafi Stadium owned by Arif Saleem) and seized two shishas from Arif’s restaurant and four from Saleem’s.

The petitioners said the police told them that they were not allowed to serve shishas. However, they said, the police team failed to produce anything in writing. “When asked about an official notification they said they had CCPO’s orders to raid all restaurants and cafes in their jurisdiction and enforce the ban on shisha,” the petitioners said.

Petitioners’ counsel said that his clients owned restaurants throughout the province and had been serving shisha there without any objection from the government officials. He said his clients were not involved in any criminal activity and that the police raids at their restaurants were without lawful authority. He suggested that the action was meant to blackmail his clients into closing their businesses.

He said his clients were reputed businessmen and were aware of rules and regulations regarding their businesses. They were protected by Article 18 of the Constitution that guaranteed every citizen a right to conduct lawful trade or business without any illegal and unlawful interference.

The police action, Pansota said, had also damaged the petitioners’ reputation and resulted in a loss of business.

He requested the court to declare the police raids at the restaurants illegal.

Pansota also prayed that the court issue directions for registration of criminal cases against the police officials responsible for the raids.

Justice Chaudhry Iftikhar Hussain summoned the CCPO to appear on April 4 and adjourned the hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th_, 2011.