Murree SHO suspended after I-Day chaos

RAWALPINDI:

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressed her displeasure over the chaos that erupted on the night of August 14th on Mall Road in Murree during the Independence Day celebrations.

In response, Rawalpindi's Chief Police Officer (CPO), Khalid Hamdani, took swift action by suspending the SHO of Murree and forming a three-member fact-finding committee. The committee, led by SSP Operations, has been tasked with conducting an inquiry and issuing a charge sheet. Additionally, DSP Murree is also expected to be replaced.

According to sources, the matter was discussed in a meeting held at the Commissioner's Office in Rawalpindi, chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

Commissioner Rawalpindi Engineer Aamir Khan Khattak, RPO Rawalpindi Babar Sarfraz Alpa, DC Rawalpindi Hasan Waqar Cheema, CPO Rawalpindi Khalid Hamdani, as well as the Murree DC and DSP attended the meeting.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister expressed serious concern over the incident of rioting on Mall Road on August 14th and issued strict directives to prevent such occurrences in the future.

The incident in question occurred on August 14th when a crowd of 15,000 to 20,000 people gathered on Murree's Mall Road. Supporters of one political party raised slogans, prompting supporters of another party to respond with loud chants from a nearby hotel. Tensions escalated when crackers were thrown from the hotel, leading to an outburst of anger among the crowd. The police had to resort to a baton charge to control the situation.