Afghan businessman accuses police of harassment

Police refute accusations, claim they are acting on complaints received

MANSEHRA: An Afghan businessman has accused the Mansehra police of implicating his family in false cases and subjecting his father and brother to custodial abuse.

Imran, the son of Akbar Khan and a resident of Bafa Doraha, told a news conference on Wednesday that his family had been dealing in automobiles and fruits in Mansehra for over three decades and paid sizeable taxes. However, around five months ago when his father Akbar Khan decide to quit the automobile business he owed Rs18.84 million to around 114 investors – a majority of whom were Afghan nationals living in Sheikhabad area.



He said that during a local jirga, a man from among the 114 investors was authorised by all sides to collect and disburse the outstanding sums of money from Akbar in instalments.

Imran said that his father cleared his all dues and obtained an affidavit on stamp paper from the investors.

However, the man who received the money later backed off from this affidavit accusing Akbar of reneging on his promise of paying the money. The man, Imran claimed, also threatened his father of dire consequences.

In this regard, DSP Headquarter Zulfiqar Jadoon called his father to his office around a month ago and asked him to pay Rs3 million – the amount which one of the 114 investors claimed was still outstanding.

Imran claimed that thereafter city police started harassing his family by first arresting his father and detaining him for 12 days while subjecting him to mental and physical torture.

"They kept my father chained and blindfolded during those 12 days and did not even allow him to offer his prayers," Imran added.



Imran further claimed that police arrested his uncle Musa Khan in an allegedly fabricated case while his 70-year-old paternal grandfather Haji Jan Muhammad was also implicated in a fake case of kidnapping. Recently, on the evening of April 1, the City police picked his younger brother, 17-year-old Saddam from their fruit shop allegedly for failing to produce a Pakistan Origin Card.

When approached for comments DSP Zulfiqar was not available while the City police denied the allegations.

Police also denied having any personal grudge against him or on the orders of any of their senior officers.