Police chief seeks MNA’s arrest for assaulting a lady constable

Authorities attempting to complete legal formalities before Parliamentary session

ISLAMABAD:

Islamabad Police have requested the National Assembly (NA) Speaker to grant permission for the arrest of a lawmaker who allegedly assaulted a lady constable last week.

IGP Tahir Alam Khan has formally requested acting NA Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi to grant them permission to arrest MNA Shahjehan Mangrio.



“Parliamentarians cannot be arrested without prior permission from either the speaker NA or the Senate chairman; we have thus made the request,” Khan explained.

On October 21, the Women Police Station, Sector G-7 registered a case against the lawmaker from Sukkur, Sindh for assaulting lady constable Afshan Naz at Parliament Lodges.

The IGP said Mangrio has not yet obtained bail, and that after the speaker’s permission, the police will arrest her.



The MNA is not residing at the lodges at present, and has left for her native town in Sindh.

The offence is bailable, Khan shared, but added that it was a crime to assault an on-duty police official.

An official from the National Assembly said that a session of Parliament will begin on November 6. The police are attempting to complete legal formalities before the session starts to ensure the MNA’s arrest.



The case was registered on the complaint of constable Naz, who told police that Mangrio assaulted her following an argument between the two after Naz refused to go see the MNA in her room.

The lawmaker had asked the constable to facilitate a guest of hers, but Naz allegedly did not give ‘due protocol’ to the guest.

SSP (Security) Mirvais Niaz had earlier conducted an inquiry and declared the lawmaker guilty.



A case was later registered under section 186 (Obstructing a public servant in discharge of public functions) and section 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of duty) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Women Police Station SHO Farzana Ahmed said the lawmaker must be arrested, adding that such incidents demoralise police, especially female officials.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2015.