LDA official acted in self-defence, says report
Maryam Kiyani, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) official who was accused of slapping two women during an anti-encroachment operation, acted in self defence, says an inquiry report prepared by the district coordination officer.
Commissioner Jawad Rafique Malik shared the report with reporters on Saturday.
The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) had recovered on Thursday 250 kanals of land from illegal occupants in Nasir Ganj. Kiyani, the LDA additional director general (Headquarters), who supervised the operation had been accused by two women, Raheela and Zahida, of slapping them. The women had denied attacking Kiyani. They said they had only requested her not to demolish their homes.
The report, which does not recommend disciplinary action against Kiyani, will now be forwarded to Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif .
According to the report, the footage played by TV channels only showed Kiyani slapping the women but did not show the women assaulting Kiyani. Kiyani, said the report, was only protecting herself after the women assaulted her.
Malik said that though the government was not trying to justify what Kiyani did, her reaction had not been without cause. “If we condemn her now, land grabbers and illegal occupants of land will use their women as ‘front lines of defence,” he said.
Malik said that protocols will be devised for officers conducting an operation in “such contentious areas”. They should not go to such areas without sufficient force, he said, adding that officers needed to refrain from using “brute force”.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 6th, 2012.
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Well done Maryam, in the line of duty. The land grabbers deserve more since they have damaged our society to an extent that stern action against them is indispensible.
In spite of clear cut footage if she insists her slapping in self defence remains questionable. It sounds ok next time sufficient force to accompany such activities of LDA but current case looks as, Mght is Right" Poor and helpless have to suffer so is their fate.