Haripur cop sacked for misconduct

A Haripur police officer allegedly involved in numerous cases of robbing tourists was caught red-handed and dismissed on Thursday.

The officer, identified as Shoaib Khan, who also used the alias Zain Khan, was dismissed from service after an investigation proved his involvement in criminal activities.

The officer was apprehended while threatening and robbing tourists on the highway connecting Islamabad and Haripur. An FIR has been registered against him at the Makhniyal police station.

Additionally, Makhniyal police station SHO Habibullah was demoted and suspended on charges of facilitating and supporting Shoaib Khan's activities. Habibullah has been moved to the police line, and an inquiry has been initiated against him.

According to a police spokesperson, Shoaib Khan misused his position by posing as a police officer to rob tourists, often providing fake names and numbers. Local sources reported frequent complaints on social media about the mistreatment of women and tourists by police officials in the Makhniyal area of Haripur, close to Islamabad.

Despite these complaints, senior officers did not take action until recently.

The turning point came when Shoaib Khan demanded a bribe from a family travelling from Islamabad. When the family refused, the situation escalated to the Makhniyal police station. The family managed to escape and later filed a complaint with a senior officer in Islamabad.

This complaint prompted the senior officer to contact the Inspector General (IG) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, demanding an investigation.

The IG of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa immediately took notice and instructed the deputy inspector general (DIG) Hazara and the district police officer (DPO) Haripur to take swift action. As a result, Shoaib Khan was arrested and dismissed from the police department. The accusations against him were substantiated through various investigations.

SHO Habibullah was also accused of protecting Shoaib Khan, leading to his demotion and suspension. An FIR has been filed against Shoaib Khan under sections 506, 1, and 341.

The DPO of Haripur, Sulaiman Zafar, stated that no one is above the law and that those who bring disrepute to the department will face legal consequences.

He emphasised the police's role as protectors of citizens' property and lives and appealed for public cooperation in eradicating urban crime.