In solidarity: Traffic wardens protest colleague’s thrashing

The warden was beaten up allegedly by an MPA’s guards for making them wait.

FAISALABAD:

Scores of traffic wardens staged a protest demonstration here on Friday shortly after a traffic warden was beaten up allegedly by an MPA’s guards.

The warden was taken to a hospital, from where he was released a few hours later.

The protesting wardens surrounded the office of the regional police officer and shouted slogans against the MPA. They demanded that action be taken against the MPA and his guards.

The wardens said that a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MPA was passing through the road, when his driver violated a red signal.

They said traffic warden Farooq Mazhar followed him and stopped his driver. They said the warden asked the MPA to wait before he could check the driver’s driving licence and vehicle registration documents.

They said on hearing this, the MPA flared up and started to beat the warden along with his guards. They said the men attacked Mazhar with slaps, punches and kicks. Some passers-by rescued the warden. They said the MPA and his guards left.

Police spokesman Aamir Waheed said that RPO Mian Javaid Islam had visited the scene and told the protesting wardens to end their demonstration. He had also called both sides to his office, but Mazhar had refused to settle the matter.

The spokesman said that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had taken notice of the incident and ordered the RPO to submit a report on Saturday (today).

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5^th, 2013.