ANP senator: Probe into Adeel incident lets officer off the hook

Senate panel ordered inquiry on Peshawar Cantonment Board CEO’s misconduct against Haji Adeel.

ISLAMABAD:

The Senate Standing Committee on Rules and Procedure on Monday rejected an inquiry report prepared by the defence ministry about the breach of privilege of Senator Haji Mohammad Adeel by Peshawar Cantonment Board Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Saleem Hassan Wattoo.

Adeel had moved a privilege motion in the Senate in June this year against the Peshawar Cantonment Board CEO alleging that he had misbehaved with the senator while vacating shops in the cantonment board plaza, without prior permission from the area magistrate.

Senate Chairman Nayyar Bukhari had referred the issue to the committee concerned which later asked the defence ministry to conduct an inquiry into the matter.

The defence ministry on Monday presented a report of the inquiry and gave a clean chit to the cantonment board chief and other officials.

The Senate panel also asked the defence ministry to submit another report to the committee after fresh inquiry that is conducted by senior military officers.



“We will not accept such a one-sided inquiry, neither will we compromise the privilege of any member of the august house,” he maintained.

The panel pointed out that the property was not owned by any person, but belonged to the cantonment board and all the formalities should be completed before vacating it.

The senator had alleged that the board sought to get the shops vacated without any orders from the magistrate, a prerequisite condition.

PPP MPA Nighat Aurakzai, who was also present before the committee as an eyewitness of the incident, said that the police and the officials of the cantonment board had showed high-handedness and misbehaved with Senator Haji Adeel.

Aurakzai also alleged that Wattoo’s driver had pulled out a pistol and threatened the senator and his son. Senator Haji Adeel stated that despite a stay order from the court, authorities forcefully demolished the plaza.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15^th, 2013.