Abuse of power: PML-N candidate takes head start and threatens cops

Ashraf Gujjar allegedly tried to stop the police from arresting accused utility thieves.

ISLAMABAD:

Most politicians wait to get elected before throwing their names around, but Ashraf Gujjar has chosen to take a head start.

On Tuesday Advocate Gujjar — the ruling PML-N’s candidate for NA-48 — threatened the Margalla Police Station House Officer (SHO) with dire consequences if he arrested residents of a katchi abadi in G-8 who were allegedly involved in electricity and gas thefts.

The incident occurred when the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in collaboration with the Margalla police raided a katchi abadi in Sector G-8/4 to pick up electricity and gas thieves. However, FIA sources told The Express Tribune that Gujjar threatened Margalla SHO Rukhsar Mehdi by boastfully saying, “You don’t know how powerful I am! I will transfer you.”

The sources said that the argument between the police and Gujjar continued for half-an-hour and Mehdi underscored that the police must assist the FIA and take action against the alleged thieves in accordance with the law. However, Gujjar stopped the police and kept trying to prevent them from arresting the accused, “because they are PML-N voters”, a source opined.

According to sources, former federal minister Julius Salik also reached the spot a little later and tried to stop police from arresting the accused, all of whom are Christian. The police initially picked up five people, but the politicians’ interference resulted in only two people being booked.

Till the filing of this story, sources close to the development told The Express Tribune that the police had not registered an FIR against Gujjar or Salik for their interference, but had charged the entire katchi abadi with utility theft.

Sector G-8/4 falls in the jurisdiction of NA-48 and is home to a large number of Christians. Every election cycle, candidates try to secure their votes by any means.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14^th, 2013.