PML-N MPA gets `clean-chit` in police station raid
FAISALABAD: The district police have given `clean-chit` to the Pakistan Muslim League-N MPA Rana Shoaib Idrees and told the Anti Terrorism Court judge that name of the lawmaker was `mistakenly` mentioned in the case pertaining to attack on Khurrianwala police station.
Earlier, on Sept 2, police had declared the MPA guilty of attacking the police station and thrashing some policemen. An application submitted by the MPA for changing investigation officer for conducting a `biased probe` had been rejected by police.
On Wednesday, the court sent the MPA to jail on judicial remand.
Sources told Dawn that prior to the MPA`s arrest the Punjab police Inspector General Mushtaq Sukhera had ordered Faisalabad police to ensure rule of law and put the culprits behind the bars.
Following the orders, they said, the local police professionally investigated the matter.
However, they said later the stance was changed and the authorities decided to provide relief to the ruling party lawmaker because of political pressure.
The sources said following the `change of heart` the local police first `raided` the house of a Sub-Inspector, Riasat, in Farooq Abad, who was allegedly tortured by the MPA and his henchmen, and was left injured with three broken teeth. However, the SI was not home.
Madina Town SP Nasir Sial claimed it was not a `raid`. He said the police just went to the SI`s house to ask him to join the investigation as his cell phone was switched off.
They said the Regional Investigation Branch (RIB) had summoned the policemen attached with the case on Tuesday last so that they could be `convinced` to change their statements so that the MPA could be given a clean-chit.
The sources said the senior police officer was asked to change his version.
The sources said the senior officer refused to withdraw his statement.
They said the officer told his high-ups he would prefer to work as an officer on special duty (OSD) instead of going against the merit.
The DSP concerned said the MPA was in his office when the mob attacked the police station and tortured on-duty policemen, the sources said. They said the refusal of the officers created problems for the police bosses who contacted Khurrianwala SHO Khalid Pervez, complainant in the case registered against the MPA and asked him to change his statement.
The SHO confirmed to Dawn that he had given statement that the `political personality` mentioned in the FIR of the case was not Mr Shoaib but the MPA`s uncle Rana Zikarya, who was already a nominated suspect.
http://epaper.dawn.com/DetailNews.php?StoryText=11_09_2014_002_003
FAISALABAD: The district police have given `clean-chit` to the Pakistan Muslim League-N MPA Rana Shoaib Idrees and told the Anti Terrorism Court judge that name of the lawmaker was `mistakenly` mentioned in the case pertaining to attack on Khurrianwala police station.
Earlier, on Sept 2, police had declared the MPA guilty of attacking the police station and thrashing some policemen. An application submitted by the MPA for changing investigation officer for conducting a `biased probe` had been rejected by police.
On Wednesday, the court sent the MPA to jail on judicial remand.
Sources told Dawn that prior to the MPA`s arrest the Punjab police Inspector General Mushtaq Sukhera had ordered Faisalabad police to ensure rule of law and put the culprits behind the bars.
Following the orders, they said, the local police professionally investigated the matter.
However, they said later the stance was changed and the authorities decided to provide relief to the ruling party lawmaker because of political pressure.
The sources said following the `change of heart` the local police first `raided` the house of a Sub-Inspector, Riasat, in Farooq Abad, who was allegedly tortured by the MPA and his henchmen, and was left injured with three broken teeth. However, the SI was not home.
Madina Town SP Nasir Sial claimed it was not a `raid`. He said the police just went to the SI`s house to ask him to join the investigation as his cell phone was switched off.
They said the Regional Investigation Branch (RIB) had summoned the policemen attached with the case on Tuesday last so that they could be `convinced` to change their statements so that the MPA could be given a clean-chit.
The sources said the senior police officer was asked to change his version.
The sources said the senior officer refused to withdraw his statement.
They said the officer told his high-ups he would prefer to work as an officer on special duty (OSD) instead of going against the merit.
The DSP concerned said the MPA was in his office when the mob attacked the police station and tortured on-duty policemen, the sources said. They said the refusal of the officers created problems for the police bosses who contacted Khurrianwala SHO Khalid Pervez, complainant in the case registered against the MPA and asked him to change his statement.
The SHO confirmed to Dawn that he had given statement that the `political personality` mentioned in the FIR of the case was not Mr Shoaib but the MPA`s uncle Rana Zikarya, who was already a nominated suspect.
http://epaper.dawn.com/DetailNews.php?StoryText=11_09_2014_002_003
