Abusing, threatening cops: Woman who tried to enter Diplomatic Enclave sent to jail

Judge orders her judicial remand following a medical examination, suspect’s lawyer to file bail plea today

ISLAMABAD: A woman, who had been arrested the other day for driving into the Diplomatic Enclave in a car with no licence plate and for abusing police officers who had detained her with a video of the incident going viral, was sent to jail on judicial remand on Sunday by a judge in the federal capital.

The woman is expected to file her bail application before an additional district and sessions court on Monday.

The Islamabad Police on Sunday presented the woman, Dr Shehla Raza, before duty judge Adnan Rashid. The officers contended that Dr Raza was attempting to enter the secure Diplomatic Enclave on October 17 in a car without any number plate.

She had been booked in a case filed in the Secretariat police station on an application filed by Secretariat DPD Security Division ASI Tariq Farooq. The case, however, was not lodged until Saturday, after a video of the incident went viral on social media.

The court was told that according to ASI Farooq’s complaint, he was deputed at the police picket on gate 1 of the Diplomatic Enclave when a Honda car with no licence plate, approached.

They motioned the car to stop and asked about the identity of the occupants. There was a young man driving the car who, ASI Farooq said, appeared to be about 18-years-old while the passenger was a woman who introduced herself as Dr Raza. She said that she was heading to the American Embassy.

At this, she was told that she cannot enter the enclave without a number plate apart from following other procedures.

“This information (car registration number and computerized identity card number) has to be provided to the police in advance and permission is granted by the concerned officers, only then a car is allowed to enter the diplomatic enclave,” police officers explained to the court.

At this, the woman got angry and started cursing the officers present and even threatened to run over the cops if she was not allowed to enter the enclave. She then had the car parked in an angular fashion which blocked the path of traffic.

She then took a number plate (AKH-215) from the trunk of the car and showed it to the cops on duty.

She was booked for assault or using criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty (Section 353 of the Pakistan Penal Code), obstructing a public servant in discharge of public functions (Section 186 of PPC), for wrongful restraint of a person (Section 341 of PPC) and for criminal intimidation (Section 506 of PPC).

The suspect's lawyer told the court that his client was a law-abiding citizen.

He added that his client also suffers from heart ailments, hence, whenever she is angry, she feels intense pressure and her brain does not function properly, causing her to lose her composure.

The judge ordered to suspect to undergo a medical examination and then be taken to the Adiala Jail on judicial remand.

Her lawyer is expected to file her bail plea before an additional district and sessions court on Monday (today).

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2018.