ISLAMABAD: The capital police have decided to challenge a lower court order to register cases against their officers.

In this regard, a petition has been prepared and sent to the police prosecution department to submit it with the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Senior police officers on the condition of anonymity told Dawn that the petition was prepared to challenge the direction of the district and sessions court for the registration of cases in response to an application by the lawyers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek.

Besides the police officers, Prime Minster Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minster Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and some ministers

were also nominated in two separate FIRs registered at the Secretariat police station over the August 30 clashes between the police and the participants of the sit-ins in the Red Zone.

The two cases were registered under section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, murder, attempted murder, rioting, etc.

However, the police officers pleaded that they had acted in the line of duty and followed the orders received from the authority concerned.

Police officers were booked under terror charges over Aug 30 clashes in Red Zone

The police officers present at the Constitution Avenue were responsible for the security of the buildings and acted against the protesters when they entered the premises and started damaging them.

“The order to register cases against the police officers will demoralise the entire force. In future, the police will be reluctant to use force against any troublemakers to maintain peace and protect the lives and property of the citizens.”

A police officer said in April this year two police officers were suspended for taking action against the participants of a protest rally organised by the Defence for Human Rights for trying to enter the Red Zone.

The suspension of the officers at that time demoralised the force and in May the police did not intercept the Sikh protesters who entered the Parliament House.

Now the police officers were booked despite the fact that they were acting in the line of their duty, he said, adding under such circumstances the police would not use force against any troublemakers in future.

Published in Dawn, October 11th , 2014