Daily Times

LAHORE: Misuse of power is nothing new when it comes to Punjab police culture but the incident of abuse of power by police last week raised many questions in which a senior journalist Naeem Gilani was booked in a fake case.

A large number of Wahadat Colony residents’ also held a protest demonstration against Station House Officer Furqan and Trainee Assistant Sub Inspector Rashid for harassing the people and registering a fake case.

Protesters have demanded Chief Justice of Pakistan and the newly incumbent Inspector General Police Punjab Dr Syed Kalim Imam for providing justice to them and to hold an inquiry on this issue.

The protesters said that police put innocent citizens’ lives at risk by allegedly allowing and facilitating a contractor for construction of a building despite the fact that the honourable court stayed the construction. They were holding placards in their hands inscribed with different slogans against police including “Police’s bullying is not accepted”, “Say No to Oppression” and “We want justice.”

The residents claimed the said contractor was using low-quality iron rods in the building’s construction and hence playing with people’s lives and has not given up the construction despite several humble requests from nearby residents of the street.

The residents had already got a stay order from the court. Last Friday, the contractor forcibly tried to restart the construction once again, on which, one of the residents of the same street gave a call to the Police Emergency helpline for stopping the contractor from illegal construction because he could not proceed due to the presence of stay order.

Surprisingly, instead of solving the matter, the police upon arrival detained the complainant by claiming that he gave a fake call.

They further said that police also threatened the senior citizens of putting them behind bars on raising voice.

On Sunday, the police repeated the incident and took into custody the same person by once again claiming that he gave a fake call on police helpline.

When Daily Times contacted SHO Wahadat Colony Furqan, he said that they registered a genuine case.

The residents claim to have a video proof which is also available with Daily Times in which TASI Rashid is claiming that the caller gave a fake call.

Published in Daily Times, June 26^th 2018.