PTI MPA-elect arrested for beating policemen

Surrenders himself to police at SP Sadar office and records statements


Our Correspondent July 29, 2018
Policemen receiving treatment at a hospital. PHOTO: EXPRESS

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member Nadeem Abbas Bara, who secured a Punjab Assembly seat in the recently concluded general elections, has been arrested for torturing policemen.

According to police, Bara and some other PTI activists were indulged in a celebratory gunfire late Saturday night in Hanjarwal. Upon getting information about the incident, policemen reached the spot and arrested two unidentified suspects.

They added that when police tried to leave for the police station, Bara and others interrupted and started harassing policemen of dire consequences for arresting their supporters.

Police said that the accused persons brutally tortured two policemen of the Hanjarwal police station. They were identified as Station House Officer (SHO) Rana Afzal and Constable Mumtaz Hussain. The victims received serious injuries and were admitted to a nearby hospital.

On the complaint of SHO Hanjarwal, police registered a case against the accused persons under terrorism, attempt to murder and other charges.

Operations DIG Shahzad Akbar told The Express Tribune that according to law, an action will be taken against the suspects. "We cannot allow criminals to sit in the parliament," he said.

CJP takes notice

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Sunday took suo motu notice of the incident and directed police to arrest the MPA. The chief justice handed down the directives while presiding over the hearing at the apex court's Lahore Registry. Inspector General Punjab Syed Kaleem Imam told the top court that 21 of the 28 suspects nominated in the FIR of the incident have been arrested.

IGP Syed Kaleem Imam visited the injured police officers at the hospital to inquire about their health. He also ordered Lahore police to take a stern action against the accused persons.

MPA surrenders himself

Meanwhile, the prime accused Bara, who was elected from PA-161, surrendered himself to the police at SP Sadar office on Sunday. He said that despite facing serious challenges during his election campaign he was never involved in any kind of malpractices. He denied the incident of firing at his (guesthouse) dera. He claimed that the videos making rounds on electronic and social media were shot somewhere else, but not at his dera. "The fact is police raided his dera and not only arrested but tortured his supporters, which is totally unfair." He added that he himself came to know about the incident of firing when he watched the television.

Talking about the allegations leveled by the PTI MPA-elect about police's biasness and acting on the whims of his political opponents, SSP VVIP Security, Rana Tahirul Rehman said that these were frivolous. Police have remained neutral during the entire election process. "We will thoroughly investigate the matter and will take action if someone is found guilty," he said. He added that the incident took place at the dera of Munir Bara, who is a relative of Nadeem Abbas Bara.



COMMENTS (1)

Saad Saeed Ahmed | 5 years ago | Reply Ibtada e ishq hai rota hai kya aagay aagay dekhiye hota hai kya....
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