Strike ends after DSP apologises to Excise official

Police officer had slapped inspector on Thursday.

LAHORE:

A police official who slapped an Excise inspector at a checkpoint at Babu Sabu last week apologised on Monday, bringing an end to the one-and-a-half day strike at the Excise and Taxation office.

DSP Waris Bharwana, along with SSP Admin Tariq Abbas Qureshi, apologised to Inspector Abdul Waheed Mayo for slapping and abusing him. The DSP said he had lost his temper and made a mistake.

Following the apology, the inquiry ordered into the incident by CCPO Muhammad Amlesh was called off. Excise and Taxation officials resumed work from noon.

On Thursday, at around 4 pm an Excise and Taxation Department team pulled over a car with an official number plate near Babu Sabu. According to department officials, the driver introduced himself as DSP Bharwana’s son and asked to be let go. Mayo asked the man to produce documents to verify that token tax had been paid for the vehicle.

A little while later, the DSP also arrived at the spot in civvies, escorted by another police vehicle. DSP Bahrwana allegedly abused and slapped the inspector. Other officials who tried to intervene were threatened. Mayo and the staff were ordered by senior officers to return to the office, so the matter could be dealt with by the department.

Mayo said he bore no personal grudge against the DSP. He said that he was satisfied with the apology. He said he had told the DSP not to use an official number plate on his private car.

When asked why the inquiry had been called off, SSP Qureshi told The Express Tribune that the inquiry had been ordered against the DSP for abusing his power.

With him admitting to his mistake and apologising, there was no need to continue it, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2013.