ISLAMABAD: The inability of police officials to comprehend the complaint written in English language caused an inordinate delay in the registration of an FIR against the prime minister and some of his cabinet members for the August 30 violence in the Red Zone.

Police officials said after the court's directions on Saturday, the staff of the Secretariat police station had been trying to decipher the wording of the complaint filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to register the case.

They said police officers, who could read the complaint and copy some of its contents into the FIR, were not available.

The area superintendent of police (SP) was, however, helping the staff of the police station but due to his engagements in other duties, including looking after the security arrangements at the sit-ins, he could not spare enough time to complete the task.

PM, ministers booked for August 30 violence on direction of local court

On Saturday evening, the capital police received directions from the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Shahrukh Arjumand to register the case. Later, lawyers of the PTI also approached the senior police officers for the registration of the case.

The lawyers were told to approach the station house officer (SHO) of Secretariat in this regard.

“On Monday afternoon, the process to copy the complaint into the FIR register started and is still continuing,” a police officer told Dawn at 9:45pm. “But it is yet to be completed due to the endless English.”

However, he explained that after allotting number (221), the FIR was now considered to have been registered.

The case was registered on the charges of murder, attempted murder, rioting, armed with deadly weapons and unlawful assembly along with section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

“So far, the names of the prime minister, chief minister Punjab, interior, defence and railway ministers, IGPs Islamabad, Kashmir and Punjab and a few officers of the local administration have been mentioned in the FIR.”

He said there was an endless list of accused in the complaint lodged by Shah Mehmood Qurishi, the PTI vice-chairman.

The complainant alleged that PTI workers were killed and injured due to firing, shelling and baton charging by the police on the direction of government leaders and officials when they were peacefully marching towards the Prime Minister House on August 30.

Earlier, the Secretariat police had registered a case in response to a complaint lodged by PTA deputy secretary information.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2014