RAWALPINDI, July 25: It seems the warning by Inspector-General of Police of Punjab Ziaul Hassan that refusal to register FIR will not go unpunished is having an effect on his officers. Atif Islam Bajwa, a school teacher of the city, who has been running from pillar to post since his Suzuki Carry van was stolen on April 5 finally got the Sadiqabad police register the FIR on July 24.

Though he had lodged a complaint the same day that the van (RIZ-1654) was stolen in Block C of Satellite Town, he could get only a copy of ‘informal report’ from the Sadiqabad police on May 23 but no registration of FIR.

Recently, in the hope that a higher authority would be more sympathetic to his predicament, Mr Bajwa approached a senior police officer, SP Waqar Chohan, for help.

SP Chohan twice ordered SHO Sadiqabad, inspector Sohail Usmani, to register an FIR and report to him but to no avail.

“First the SHO asked me to come on July 2. But he was not available at police station at that time. Again I was told to come on Sunday on July 24.”

When he met the SHO on Sunday as directed, Mr Bajwa was handed the FIR copy but not before owning that he himself was the cause of the long delay.

“Before handing me the FIR, the SHO asked me to write on a paper that I had gone to Karachi on long leave due to which I could not get the FIR on time,” Mr Bajwa said.

Still the school teacher was thankful to the SHO for “the favour”.