Calling foul: Citing police brutality, all-parties jirga demands removal of high-ups

Students took to streets after Battagram DC cancelled papers of over 2 dozen of their fellow classmates for cheating.

BATTAGRAM:

In response to a clash between protesting students and police – which injured at least 10 students and five policemen – a jirga of local political activists was held on Wednesday.

Participants warned that the unrest would continue unless the Battagram deputy commissioner (DC), deputy superintendent police (DSP) and station house officer (SHO) were removed from their posts and the students’ demands were met.

Deputy Commissioner Mian Adil Iqbal cancelled the biology paper of over 25 students on Tuesday after catching the 10th graders cheating from text books during a surprise visit to the examination hall at Government Boys High School, Battagram. He allegedly snatched the answer sheets and forced the students out of the hall. In support of their accused classmates, over 250 students boycotted the day’s exam and staged a protest against the DC, demanding that he reverse his decision and allow them to retake the biology paper.

The protesting students blocked the Karakoram Highway near Kuchehri chowk and chanted slogans against the DC when a police contingent headed by DSP Arshad Khan and SHO Riaz Khan resorted to baton charge in an attempt to disperse the angry crowd, injuring at least 10 students. The students pelted police with stones and bricks, injuring over five officials. However, their injuries were minor, according to hospital sources.

The police arrested over two dozen student protesters but later released them when political activists from various political parties – including Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamiat Ulema-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) – protested and blocked the road against police action.

The activists also demanded that both the deputy commissioner and deputy superintendent police be transferred to another post for their unjust actions towards the students. However, SHO Riaz Khan said that no student was arrested or any case registered against them.

During the jirga, political party activists attending the meeting condemned the police for baton charge against students and warned further protests and blockage of the Karakoram Highway for an indefinite period of time. Maulana Atta Muhammad Deshani of ASWJ, Rafiq Khan of JI, Amal Shah Sherazi of PTI, along with community members Alam Khan and Najeebullah, were prominent among those who spoke at the jirga.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2014.