Akora Khattak incident: Senate panel annoyed by official inaction

Official says this is the first time that an FIR has been filed against three servicemen

ISLAMABAD: Members of the Senate Standing Committee on Communications expressed annoyance when they were informed that no progress has been made into last month’s scuffle involving some army officials and motorway police in Akora Khattak, Nowshera.

IG National Highways and Motorway Police Shaukat Hayat briefed the committee on investigation into the incident. Two separate FIRs had been filed by traffic police officials and armymen, which were subsequently sealed and no investigation was currently under way, the committee was informed.

Communications Ministry Secretary Khalid Masood Chaudhry said the minister In-charge [the prime minister] had been informed about the incident. On September 16, an application was also sent to the Prime Minister’s Office, calling for establishing a court of inquiry, but there has been no response yet.

The proposed court of inquiry would include officials from the army, Khyber-Pakhunkhwa administration and motorway police.

The committee chairperson, Senator Daud Khan Achakzai, asked: “A month has passed, did you not inquire about developments from the minister in-charge?”

He wondered why no court of inquiry had so far been set up. “What investigations are being conducted? Can even the prime minister not inquire about this matter?”

To this, the federal secretary said he would inform the committee as soon as he got an approval from the minister in-charge.

Senator Kulsoom Parveen criticised the motorway police for inaction and apathy. IG Hayat said: “This is the first time that an FIR has been filed against three serving captains and a major. This is a revolutionary step.”

Senator Parveen remarked that the IG seemed abnormally reticent about commenting on the incident. NHA Chairman Shahid Ashraf Tarar said they would inform the committee after they received the relevant report. On the suggestion of Senator Muhammad Ali Saif, the committee decided to write a letter to the defence secretary to inquire about the progress of investigation into the incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2016.