‘Tortured’ teacher gets Rs300,000 cheque

PML-N Sargodha president presents cheque on behalf of chief minister.

SARGODHA:

A cheque for Rs300,000 was handed over on behalf of the chief minister on Friday to Nafees Khan – the teacher who has accused former MPA Aslam Madhyana of torturing him.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Sargodha president Chaudhry Shahnawaz Ranjha gave Khan the cheque.

A case was registered by Sargodha police in January against Aslam Madhyana and others for torturing and breaking both of Khan’s legs. In June, a division bench of the Lahore High Court had accepted a petition filed by Madhyana and ordered removal of Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 from the case against him.

On September 24, the high court issued Madhyana a notice on a petition that seeks cancellation of his bail that was granted on July 10 by a Sargodha additional district and sessions judge. The next hearing date will be fixed by the high court registrar’s office.

On the occasion, Ranjha said that the PML-N was helping those who were being denied justice. “Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is always there for people who suffer at the hands of the powerful,” he said.

Ranjha said that the Punjab government had been the first to give compensation cheques to the families of the two soldiers who had lost their lives in the Siachen avalanche.

Khan thanked the chief minister for the cheque, “He was the first to take notice of the media reports about what a powerful landlord did to me.”

He said Sharif had ensured an impartial and fair inquiry into the incident “he also made arrangements so I could receive medical treatment free-of-charge”.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2012.