ZTBL fiasco: Baton-charge on journalists was an individual act: inquiry

Three police officials suspended as report rules out possibility of planned police brutality.

ISLAMABAD:

Judicial inquiry into the police baton-charge on journalists outside Zarai Taraqiati Bank (ZTBL) held two police officials and a Station House Officer (SHO) responsible for the fiasco in their individual capacities.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik ordered the suspension of the three officials and the registration of First Information Report after media persons filed a complaint against the people responsible, including ZTBL officials.

The inquiry report submitted to the interior minister ruled out the possibility of planned police brutality against the media. The report implied that the police force deployed outside the bank was left leaderless and with no one to guide them in any untoward situation.

According to the report, two police constables, namely Muhammad Ramzan and Muhammad Nazir, triggered the incident on their own without any legal sanction in which many media personnel were injured.

“One can safely say that the role of ZTBL Administration in creating the whole issue cannot be over-sighted,” mentioned the report.

Malik ordered the arrest of certain ZTBL officials and legal action against them. He also ordered that the media personnel injured in the incident be given compensation by the bank’s management.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2011.