Political steps like raids on the houses of some Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders and transfer of over 65 superintendents of police (SPs), DSPs and almost all the SHOs of Lahore involved in use of force during the May 25 PTI protest clouded city police activities during last week.
Late night after a PTI public meeting at the Hockey Stadium on August 14, Punjab government transferred as many as 12 SPs and 43 DSPs of Lahore.
A few hours before the massive overhaul, Punjab Home Minister Hashim Dogar had tweeted," A process of accountability has been started regarding May 25th incidents on the orders of chief minister Punjab. I have sought progress report from other districts also."
Dogar had said four days earlier, "The competent authrority has suspended 25 SHOs and an inquiry according to the law has been initiated against them."
On August 19, Lahore police raided the house of PML-N Leader Rana Mashood. They acquired arrest warrants of 12 PML-N leaders, including Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Ata Tarar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister, from a magistrate.
A few days earlier, a raid had been conducted on the house of Tarar. However, the leaders were not present at their homes.
The raids were conducted on the basis of an FIR registered on the complaint of a DSP and sergeant at arms of Punjab Assembly after a brawl in the legislature in April.
On the day fixed for election of the chief minister, police had also been summoned by the deputy speaker and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had complained that he was physically attacked. After the registration of the FIR, PTI and PML-Q leaders were implicated in the investigations.
However, as the government changed, the police launched a hunt against PML-N leaders in the same case. They submitted an application to the magistrate for permission to arrest 12 PML-N leaders.
Lahore police stated that cases had been registered against the accused and they were deliberately not appearing before investigation officers. They should be arrested to complete the investigations.
The accused leaders included Ata Tarar, Rana Mashood, Owais Leghari and Saiful Malook Khokhar Pressure through public statements by the PTI leadership about arrest of PML-N leaders by Lahore police has been intensified after the arrest and alleged torture of former prime minister Imran Khan’s aide Shahbaz Gill.
Meanwhile, security from the Jati Umra and Model Town residences of the Sharif family was also withdrawn.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ