Police ‘falsely implicate’ citizen in drug case

Following a widow’s complaint, departmental probe uncovers misconduct

RAWALPINDI:

A police inquiry initiated on the application of a widow has revealed that drug-related charges against a citizen, registered by the Civil Lines police station in Rawalpindi, were baseless.

According to a spokesperson for the police, the case, as per the investigation, was orchestrated by a group of officers and officials working together within the station. The inquiry officer, upon examining the records, has recommended a formal departmental investigation against SHO Civil Lines Sikandar Nawaz Joia, ASI Liaquat Ali, and three constables including Abid Ali, Abdullah, and Naseer Ahmed, highlighting alleged irregularities in their postings and operations.

The report, submitted to Punjab IG Dr Usman Anwar, Rawalpindi RPO Babar Sarfaraz Alpa, and Rawalpindi CPO Khalid Hamdani, was based on the widow Parvaiza Jan's application. She claimed that a young man named Asif Khan had been falsely implicated in a drug peddling case.

The inquiry involved examining records from the police officers and staff, as well as statements from the complainants.

During the inquiry, ASI Liaquat Ali, Naushad Ali, and Constable Naseer Ahmed, along with the applicant, were present. However, SHO Civil Lines Inspector Sikandar Nawaz Joia and Constables Abid and Abdullah did not attend despite multiple summons. The inquiry process involved informing all parties of the allegations and recording their statements. Parvaiza Jan and other witnesses, including Saeqa Bibi and Hafeez Khan, affirmed that Asif Khan was falsely accused.

The workshop owner, where Asif Khan was apprehended, testified that no drugs were found on him at the time of his arrest.

The inquiry report also mentioned ASI Liaquat Ali's statement, where he claimed that he and other officers were patrolling when they found hashish in Asif Khan's vehicle, leading to his arrest. ASI Naushad Ali supported this, stating that the investigation was conducted per rules and regulations. Constable Naseer Ahmed echoed these claims, suggesting the accusations against the police were to harass them.

Further revelations from the inquiry indicated that Inspector Sikandar Nawaz Joia, after his posting, managed to get Constables Abid and Abdullah transferred to the Civil Lines police station. However, there was no official record of Constable Naseer Ahmed's appointment there, as he was officially posted in Police Lines. The HRMIS records of SHO Joia, ASI Liaquat Ali, and Constables Abid and Abdullah also revealed their involvement in a kidnapping for ransom case in the Westridge police station area (Case No. 277). Constable Naseer Ahmed was linked to similar cases in Saddar Bairuni (Case No. 711) and Naseerabad (Case No. 94) police stations.

The report also noted that these officers, although posted at the Civil Lines police station, did not adhere to their duty rosters, often patrolling in private vehicles instead of performing their official duties. ASI Liaquat Ali was cited as not fulfilling his role as a duty officer, and the inquiry underscored the irregularities in their conduct and duty performance.

Given the serious nature of the allegations and the suspicious roles of these officers, the inquiry officer recommended a thorough departmental inquiry to uncover the real facts. Consequently, a senior police officer indicated that SP Legal had also submitted a report to the court regarding the inquiry by the Regional Investigation Branch.