Parliament storming: Inquiry holds senior cops responsible for negligence

Slams police inquiry findings and recommends reinstating suspended official.

ISLAMABAD:

An inquiry report has held senior officials of the capital police responsible for negligence leading to security breach of the parliament building. The report also contests a police report and declares the interior ministry action against some officials selective.

The judicial inquiry into the incident of storming of the parliament building by Sikh protesters was conducted by the Islamabad District and Sessions Judge Raja Jawad Abbas.

Abbas presented the 93-page judicial inquiry report to Islamabad High Court (IHC) Judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui on Wednesday.

The IHC had ordered the judicial inquiry into the incident that took place in May, when Sikh protesters stormed into the parliament building against alleged desecration of their holy books and places.

The inquiry report clearly states that the interior ministry as well as the police authorities took sides, and were selective in their action against the police officers involved in the incident.

The report has declared National Assembly Superintendent of Police (SP) Habibullah Niazi, Superintendent of Police (SP) City Capt (retd) Mustansar Feroz, Assistant Commissioner Secretariat Noman Yusuf, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Zahida Bokhari, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Secretariat Fida Satti and Station House Officer (SHO) Inspector Abdur Rahman responsible for negligence leading to the security breach.

The report has cleared DSP Cabinet Division Hussain Lasi who was suspended by the interior ministry.

Reliable sources told The Express Tribune, Niazi and Lasi, who were suspended after the incident as a result of a police inquiry, had filed a request in the IHC against their suspension.

Justice Siddiqui had directed Justice Abbas to conduct a judicial inquiry into the incident and submit a report.

The judicial report stated that CCTV footage of the Sikh protesters passing outside Serena Hotel was obtained. The footage showed officers of the police and the district administration escorting the protesters towards the Constitution Avenue that leads to the Parliament building. The report identified the officers responsible as Niazi, Yusuf, Bokhari, DSP Secretariat Fida Satti and Abdur Rahman (who was appointed SHO Kohsar Police Station).

Justice Abbas has mentioned in his report that the charges of negligence against these officials were proved as they failed in carrying out their duties.

The report says that the then Secretariat Police Station house officer Rahman assigned the responsibility of the case to a junior investigative officer. The investigative officer has yet to make any progress in the case and no arrests have been made so far.

The report also adds that Hussain Lasi was assigned duty at the main entrance of the Election Commission of Pakistan the day of the incident and was suspended without reasonable justification. The report, however, found Niazi responsible.

Reliable sources told The Express Tribune that interestingly the inquiry report conducted by AIG Operations Sultan Azam Temuri praised ASP Zahida Bokhari. The inquiry was conducted at the directives of the capital police.

On the other hand, in the judicial inquiry report a sub-inspector of the capital police Akram Nagra in his recorded statement accused that Bokhari did not even bother to arrive at the scene of the incident.

Justice Siddiqui has directed sending the copies of the report to the interior secretary, IG police and Islamabad chief commissioner.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 11^th, 2014.