Cops accused of land grab

Protesters say they took a widow’s property

FAISALABAD: Scores of residents of Chak 19-JB held a demonstration on Tuesday against some cops in the Counter-Terrorism Department and accused them of land-grab.

The protesters held up banners and placards and gathered at Zila Council Chowk. They staged a sit-in and blocked the University Road for traffic for several hours.  They said the cops had grabbed a widow’s house.



Nusrat Bibi told journalists that she was a resident of Chak 19-JB. She said a few days ago, Assistant Sub Inspector Tariq Mehmood of CTD police, and Constables Muhammad Yar, Sajid, Khalid, Ghulam Ali, Muhammad Ali, Basit Ali, Abrar and Parvaiz forced entry into her house and dragged her of it kicking and screaming. She said they had forcibly occupied her property.

“I filed a complaint at the Sahianwala police station and the police had registered a case but they neither arrested the suspects nor did they retrieve my house from them,” she said.

The woman claimed that the policemen had the protection of their uniform.

“They have threatened me with dire consequences if I do not withdraw my complaint.”



The demonstrators shouted slogans against the Sahianwala police and demanded that the suspects be arrested and the property returned to the widow.

Akhtar Ali, a representative of the city police officer (CPO), spoke to the protesters.

He said they would be provided justice at all cost.

On receiving this assurance, the demonstrators called off the protest and dispersed.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15^th, 2016.