Judicial inquiry ordered into LDA Plaza incident

LDA spokesman sees a plot to malign the authority, SHO disagrees.

LAHORE: The provincial government has ordered a judicial inquiry into a brawl at the LDA plaza at Egerton Road on Friday.

Fauzia Iftikhar, a teacher at an LDA school who was suspended from service almost a year ago, was allegedly beaten up by security guards when she tried to enter the building. She had come to meet the LDA director general to ask him to restore her in accordance with court orders. A TV reporter who was leaving the building at the time stepped in to stop the quarrel. This was followed by violence between the security guards and several people including some journalists in which some guards as well as journalists were injured.

A protest was also organised in front of the Punjab Assembly building on Saturday against the guard’s treatment of some journalists. The protestors demanded that the government remove the LDA administration director from his post.

Taking notice of the news reports of the incident, the chief minister directed the home department to initiate an inquiry. The Home Department has requested the Lahore High Court to hold a judicial inquiry and directed the inspector general of police (IGP) to depute a senior police officer for assistance.

The injured teacher and the crew of a TV channel had on Friday filed application with the local police for the registration of a criminal case against the LDA director general, two directors and the security guards. Khadim Hussain, the station house officer, told The Express Tribune that Dunya TV had also filed an application against the LDA managing director.

He said that the LDA administration also filed an application against Dunya TV’s CEO Mian Aamir Mahmoud, the former Lahore district nazim. The LDA reportedly withdrew its application after receiving certain assurances.

Talking to The Express Tribune, an LDA spokesperson said that the violence was pre-meditated. He said that it appeared to be a plot to malign some LDA officers.

“The journalists and the female teacher had earlier visited LDA’s Johar Town office at around 12:30pm,” he said.

Khadim Hussain, the SHO, however, rejected the suggestion that the riot could have been pre-planned. He said he believed the TV producer who had stated that while the security guards were arguing with Iftikhar, he was leaving the building and stepped in to stop the quarrel.

Hussain said that according to Fauzia Iftikhar she had restoration orders from the Lahore High Court and had gone to the LDA office to discuss her case with the LDA officials but was not allowed to enter the building. She said that the guards stopped her from entering the building and started beating her when she resisted.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31^st, 2010.