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| September 12, 2003 | Friday | Rajab 14, 1424 |
Sections of ATA deleted from FIR
FAISALABAD, Sept 11: The Thikriwala police have reportedly deleted the section of Anti-Terrorist Act from a case registered against over 300 villagers, including a union council Nazim, for indulging in terrorist activity during a demonstration on Monday on Faisalabad-Jhang Road.
The police registered cases under sections 324, 353, 427, 186, 148, 149 and 7 of the Anti-Terrorist Act against a number of villagers arrested from Chaks 71, 72, 81, 82, 253 and 275 JB. The police took this step against the villagers to teach them a lesson for protesting against its failure in controlling crime.
The police high ups instead of taking action against the police personnel concerned manoeuvred to penalize the villagers who had expressed their resentment and anguish over the deteriorating law and order situation in the rural areas.
Meanwhile, a civil judge adjourned for Sept 15 the hearing of bail application of 22 villagers arrested on Monday night on the charges of pelting stones at police, damaging public property, staging demonstration and creating hurdles in traffic flow.
Their counsel claimed that they had been implicated in false cases by the police to conceal their inefficiency and failure in arresting the anti-social elements.
Counsel further argued that those who were in fact responsible for damaging the public property, official vehicles were released by the police after taking heavy bribe.
The police commandos, on the orders of SP (Saddar) Raja Usama Mumtaz, resorted to firing and baton-charge of the villagers on Monday night. The chief minister and home department secretary took serious notice of the incident when the MPs informed them about the police atrocities.
Sahi: Acting Governor Afzal Sahi has directed the police high ups not to adopt anti-people attitude otherwise they would have to face the music.
Talking to newsmen here at the district courts after inaugurating Jinnah Lawyers Block on Thursday, he expressed his dismay over the reports about atrocities of Saddar police.
He said the chief minister had already ordered an inquiry into the Thikriwala incident and none of the police officials would be allowed to bring bad name to the government.
He said the government was committed to protect the basic rights of the people and also paying attention for maintaining law and order.
Later, he inaugurated the newly constructed block of chambers for lawyers in the district courts.
Meanwhile, the chief minister had already expressed dismay over the reports of police torture of the residents of Thikriwala and ordered immediate release of all the villagers rounded up in a crackdown in the Chaks 71, 72, 81, 82, 253, and 275 JB.
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