Police action on HRCP marathon: Asma’s complaint adjourned till 14th

Staff Report

LAHORE: Police officials were reluctant to tender an unconditional apology which was sought by Asma Jahangir, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) chairperson, before an additional sessions judge on Friday.

At the last hearing, Jahangir had offered that she would withdraw her complain to lodge criminal case against four police officials for manhandling her and other HRCP activists during a mixed marathon in Gulberg on May 14 if they would apologies in writing.

Janisar Baloch, counsel for the petitioner, then asked the court to give him time to argue the case on which the court adjourned proceedings till July 14. On Friday, a section officer of the Home Department also produced the record on the basis of which Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure was imposed. He also produced a copy of the notification.

Jahangir filed a complaint for registration of a case against the Lahore senior superintendent of police (Operations), Gulberg sub-divisional police officer, a woman deputy superintendent of police, Rehana Kausar, and the Gulberg station house officer.

She alleged that the police locked her up inside her law chambers on Main Boulevard, Gulberg, to stop her from participating in an event organised to raise awareness about violence against women. Police officials in plainclothes manhandled her and several other HRCP activists. He said that police refused to register a case against these officials.

Replying to the petition, three police officials said that the complainant’s organisation wanted to stage a rally without seeking permission from the government and police force was deployed under Article 4 of the Police Order 2002 to maintain security and peace and to protect life and property of the public,

They said that participants of the rally dispersed peacefully and the police force did not manhandle any of the participants. They said that the police did not register the FIR because the allegations were false.

Earlier, the Lahore High Court had disposed of her petition on May 20, saying that she should file a private complaint before the session’s court for the registration of the case.

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