December 01, 2008	Monday	Zilhaj 2, 1429

KARACHI, Nov 30: An alarming trend of storming of police stations has been witnessed in the city over the past few months as workers of political parties do not seem to take the police force seriously whenever their respective parties come to power.

The dangerous trend is generally attributed to the politicisation of the police force and inability of the successive governments in implementing the writ of the law over the years.

This year’s record shows that Jamshed Quarters and Taimuria police stations were stormed by political activists on May 26 and 28, respectively. In a similar fashion, PIB police station was stormed on Nov 13.

A police officer requesting anonymity said that when police high-ups look to the political leadership for permission in such tricky situations, the junior officers fail to act, thinking why they should become scapegoats. “They (political activists) know that even if they are caught and arrested they will be out on bail within a few days or so,” he observes.

In the middle of November, the PIB police station suffered the wrath of political party activists for police action against celebratory gunfire in the air at a wedding party in the area. Over two dozen people stormed the police station after the police picked up a person for the alleged crime.

The attackers gave a hiding to the policemen at the police station, ripped apart their uniforms, and resorted to firing in the air before leaving the premises. The police rounded up two of the suspects following the attack, a senior police officer said.

Sources told Dawn that at least half of the attackers were under the influence of alcohol when they stormed the police station while the station house officer was seeking his superiors’ approval on whether to take action against the suspects or not.

The senior police officer said the police registered a case (FIR No 237/2008) under Sections 147, 148, 149, 353, 332, 186, 193, 324, 100, 337-H2, 504 and 337-A1 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Eight suspects were nominated in the first information report.

FIR draws wrath

The police record shows that 25 to 30 activists of the People’s Student Federation, headed by PSF District Central president Sohail Ansari, attacked the Jamshed Quarters police station on May 26 in protest against registration of a case (FIR No 185/2008).

The FIR was registered against one Rupa on the complaint of Ms Khadija, a resident of Garden East, under Section 381 of the PPC. The attackers ransacked the furniture, misbehaved with the staff and quarrelled with Inspector Yousaf Jamal.

Following the incident, a case (FIR No 186/2008) was registered against Sohail Ansari, Sikandar Ali, Mohammad Asghar Lal, and others under Sections 147, 148, 149, 427, 353, 452, 337-A, 506-B and 395 of the PPC. Two suspects have been arrested in the FIR.

Attackers set ally free

A dozen Pakistan People’s Party activists attacked Taimuria police station on May 28 and managed to get released their associate, Sualin Zaman, who was arrested along with the recovery of a gun from him by the police in an alleged street crime case (FIR No 317/2008).

A local leader of the PPP’s defunct District Central, along with dozens of party activists, earlier gathered at the police station and demanded the immediate release of the suspect. On refusal by the police, they attacked the duty officer and other policemen. They reportedly ransacked the police station, tore apart the FIR, snatched the keys of the lock-up and got the suspect released.

The police’s inability to act in such situations was clear from the fact that it was only after receiving orders from the police high-ups the next morning that police registered a case (FIR 318/2008) against Sohail Ansari and over 30 other activists of the PPP under Sections 147, 148, 149, 186, 225 and 353/34 of the PPC.

Subsequently, the police claimed that they had rearrested Sualin Zaman and picked up some party workers.