K-P traffic warden dismissed after video of assault goes viral

IG K-P terminates constable from service; seeks report within 24 hours

PESHAWAR: An Express News exclusive video of a traffic warden kicking an elderly man in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's (K-P) Nowshera district recently went viral.

In the video, traffic warden Waseem Sajjad is seen running and then lunging a kick towards an elderly man. He can then be seen manhandling and kicking the elderly man again, despite the latter struggling to stand on his feet.

The incident took place in Pabbi, Nowshera district where the constable Waseem Sajjad was deployed. While some people around the warden protested at the assault taking place before them, others, in fear of the pistol being carried by the warden, maintained their composure and went about their own business without any real attempt to interfere. The warden was then able to walk through the crowd.

After video of the incident went viral, K-P Inspector General Salahuddin Khan Mehsud ordered Nowshera District Police Officer (DPO) Wahid Mehmood to present a report of the assault within 24 hours.

According to a notice issued by the police department of Nowshera, signed by the DPO, the IG held the traffic warden's response to the Show Cause notice 'unsatisfactory', thereby ordering for an immediate dismissal of Sajjid from service.

According to DPO Mehmood, the warden was asked to man the traffic on GT Road and ensure the road was free from blockages, on Friday when the incident took place. The road, which is a main road that links South Asia with Central Asia, is also a pedestrian-free zone.

The warden in line with his duties, sounded the siren to clear the road of pedestrians when the elderly man manhandled and misbehaved with warden, pulling off his police badges, according to the police official.

After the inquiry, the DPO signed and issued a notification for the removal of the traffic warden from his post.

On February 2, a traffic warden was reportedly beaten up by a lawyer on Warsak Road within the jurisdiction of Michni Gate police station. Both men engaged in a heated exchange of words after the lawyer was caught driving the wrong way.

The lawyer accused the warden of 'kicking' his vehicle and assaulting him verbally before the scuffle.