Abetment: Villagers protest arrest of ‘cattle hustler’
Police say he is a notorious criminal who has terrorised the village.
“The police have implicated innocent citizens on trumped up charges while the thieves roam free,” says a protester. PHOTO: FILE
FAISALABAD:
Hundreds of villagers besieged the Garh Fateh Shah police station on Monday and chanted slogans against the police for arresting Ahmad Yar Paroka, the father of a local lawyer, Advocate Fida Hussain, for cattle theft.
Some of the protesters brandished clubs, iron rods and hockey sticks. Some threw stones at the police station and demanded that Paroka be released.
Muhammad Hussain, one of the protestors, said, “The police have implicated innocent citizens on trumped up charges while the thieves roam free.” He said that Paroka was a notable person of the area. The protesters said that they would not end the demonstration until Paroka was released.
Operations SSP Ghulam Mubashar Mekan led a heavy police contingent to the scene. He told the protesters Paroka would be released if his innocence was established in the investigation.
The protesters then called the demonstration off.
The Garh SHO told The Express Tribune that a case against Paroka, Abdul Qadir, Muhammad Iqbal and Muhammad Sabir had been registered under Sections 215 (receiving a gift to help recover stolen property), 401 (belonging to a gang of thieves), 413 (habitually dealing in stolen property) and 414 (assisting in the concealment of stolen property) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
He said only those accused of stealing cattle and providing cover to the thieves had been arrested. “Paroka has been released on bail while the others are on remand,” he said.
The SHO said that the suspects were notorious cattle lifters and had been nominated in several cases. “Paroka, his son-in-law Zulfiqar and Imdad Hussain, another relative, have terrorised the villagers,” he said, “We will not compromise...we will continue to protect the lives and properties of the people in this area.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2013.
Hundreds of villagers besieged the Garh Fateh Shah police station on Monday and chanted slogans against the police for arresting Ahmad Yar Paroka, the father of a local lawyer, Advocate Fida Hussain, for cattle theft.
Some of the protesters brandished clubs, iron rods and hockey sticks. Some threw stones at the police station and demanded that Paroka be released.
Muhammad Hussain, one of the protestors, said, “The police have implicated innocent citizens on trumped up charges while the thieves roam free.” He said that Paroka was a notable person of the area. The protesters said that they would not end the demonstration until Paroka was released.
Operations SSP Ghulam Mubashar Mekan led a heavy police contingent to the scene. He told the protesters Paroka would be released if his innocence was established in the investigation.
The protesters then called the demonstration off.
The Garh SHO told The Express Tribune that a case against Paroka, Abdul Qadir, Muhammad Iqbal and Muhammad Sabir had been registered under Sections 215 (receiving a gift to help recover stolen property), 401 (belonging to a gang of thieves), 413 (habitually dealing in stolen property) and 414 (assisting in the concealment of stolen property) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
He said only those accused of stealing cattle and providing cover to the thieves had been arrested. “Paroka has been released on bail while the others are on remand,” he said.
The SHO said that the suspects were notorious cattle lifters and had been nominated in several cases. “Paroka, his son-in-law Zulfiqar and Imdad Hussain, another relative, have terrorised the villagers,” he said, “We will not compromise...we will continue to protect the lives and properties of the people in this area.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2013.