Clash over govt house: Accused not yet arrested

Aggrieved family seeks protection, claims to be receiving threats from accused.

ISLAMABAD:

Despite a lapse of one week, police have not yet arrested any suspect involved in injuring a man during a clash between two groups over the possession of a government house.

The aggrieved family have sought protection of the government claiming that they are receiving threats from their opponents.

On September 20, a Joint Estate Officer (JEO) Nazar Mohammad, along with 20 armed men and police officials, attempted to get vacated a house in sector G-6/2, under possession of Muhammad Ali, a District Management Group (DMG) officer, who is currently on foreign training. When Muhammad Ahmed, Ali’s brother, resisted the raiding party from entering the house, the JEO, posing as a magistrate, ordered his team to shoot him and forcefully take possession of the house. ASI Asghar Ali, fired four shots at Ahmed, injuring him seriously. The resulting panic gave Ali’s father, Abdul Khaliq, a heart attack.

The injured man and his father were shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) hospital. The Aabpara police registered a case against the Estate Office and police officials, as well as 15 others on the complaint of one of the injured. Earlier, the Estate Office had re-allotted the house to Sajida Rafique, a stenographer in the National Assembly. Muhammad Ali had obtained a stay order against the allotment but the court vacated the stay on September 19.

When the incident came to the notice of District Magistrate Islamabad he confirmed that the JEO was not a magistrate and only Estate Officer can exercise such powers in the presence of a duty magistrate in the office hours.

Estate Officer Asim Ayub said the raiding party, under the supervision of JEO went to evacuate the house without meeting official procedure. “They went in private capacity and the JEO had no authority to exercise magisterial powers,” he said. The housing ministry has suspended the JEO, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2011.