LQM members protest police inaction

FAISALABAD:

Scores of members of the Labour Qaumi Movement (LQM) staged a protest on Tuesday against Ghulam Muhammad Abad police for not registering an FIR against some men who had beaten up LQM members.

The protesters gathered in front of the City Police Officer’s office.

LQM general secretary Aslam Meraj said Nawaz Lara, Irfan Lara, Tariq Lara and Sanni Lara, members of an influential family in Chakera, had forced entry into the houses of Naseem Bibi, Anam Bibi, Kausar Bibi, Yasmeen Bibi, LQM members, and had beaten them up. Meraj said the men had threatened them with dire consequences if they continued their activism.

When the victims visited the Ghulam Muhammad Abad police check post, ASI Arshad Chattha, the post in-charge, told them to clear off, he said. “They had wanted him to register a case against the men under the Women Protection Act, but Chattha used abusive language with them and forced them to leave the police check post.”

Meraj said Chattha was protecting the Lara family and had previously detained four LQM members. The protesters demanded immediate action against the police officer and the men accused of beating up the women activists.

Akhtar Ali, a representative of the Faisalabad CPO, visited the protesters and told them they would take action. He said they would take the suspects into custody and interrogate them. He assured them that the police would proceed in accordance with the law. The protesters said they would resume their protest if the suspects were not arrested in 24 hours

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2016.