Intimidating the deputy commissioner: QWP lawmaker booked by Haripur police

Seek K-P speaker’s nod to arrest MPA Gohar Nawaz

HARIPUR: A sitting lawmaker from the Qaumi Watan Party has been booked by the Haripur police for allegedly intimidating a deputy commissioner and for interfering in official work, police said on Friday.

Haripur Deputy Commiss­ioner Taslim Khan told City police that following orders from the provincial government, he had transferred some land revenue officials within the district around two weeks ago.

However, Gohar Nawaz, the QWP’s MPA from PK -51 Haripur II, was annoyed at the transfer of allegedly some of his favourite officials. He reported asked the deputy commissioner to reverse the transfer order.

In his complaint against the lawmaker, Taslim said that when he refused the request of cancelling the transfers, it infuriated Nawaz who called the DC on his phone demanding that the orders be reversed.

Taslim claimed that Nawaz threatened him with dire consequences.

Based on the DC’s complaint, a case was registered against the MPA was registered under sections 506, 186 of the PPC and 25 Telegraph Act.

City SHO Sabir Khan and Investigation Officer Imran Khan confirmed that a case had been registered against the MPA, who is a paternal uncle of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s MNA and chairman of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Human Rights Babar Nawaz Khan.

However, the officials said that they have not arrested the MPA yet since the law dictates that they have to seek permission from the speaker of the provincial assembly before arresting a lawmaker.

“We have written to the speaker of the K-P assembly for permission [to arrest the MPA],” Imran told The Express Tribune.

According to Pakistan Penal Code section 506 prescribes punishment for criminal intimidation.  “Whoever commits the offence of criminal intimidation shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine or with both.”

“If threat be to cause death or grievous hurt, etc.-And if the threat be to cause death or grievous hurt, or to cause the destruction of any property by fire, or to cause an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years, or to impute unchastity to a woman, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, or with fine, or with both.”

Despite repeated attempts, contact could not be made with the QWP lawmaker. His aide said that the lawmaker was engaged in a series of meetings.

Moreover, contact could also not be made with the deputy commissioner.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11^th, 2017.