MULTAN: The regional police officer (RPO) has suspended a sub-inspector and directed the city police officer (CPO) to finalise disciplinary action against him for his alleged links with land grabbers.

Sohaib Muzaffar Siyal, a resident of New Multan, had submitted an application to the CPO on June 13 stating that his uncle Sardar Shabbir had written to the CPO on June 1 alleging that unidentified persons impersonating journalists were trying to occupy their plot located in MDA Officers Colony.

He said the CPO directed Bahauddin Zakariya SHO Jamshed Akram to decide the matter on merit after verifying revenue records and visiting the site. The SHO, after checking the records, asked them to start construction on the plot.

Directs CPO to finalise disciplinary action against policeman

“When we started construction, we received a call from the SHO asking us to halt it and see him at the police station that evening,” he added.

He said the SHO insisted they “settle” the matter with the other party to avoid litigation. The SHO again called him over on June 7, misbehaved with him and directed one of his subordinates to lock the complainant up.

The CPO had directed the Gulgasht Circle deputy superintendent of police (DSP) to submit a report on June 24 over the application. He charged-sheeted the SHO in light of the report that stated the SHO exhibited partiality by misusing official powers, exerted undue pressure on the complainant to compromise with illegal occupants, publicly humiliated a citizen, illegally detained him and had Rs200,000 paid to the grabbers.

Gulgasht SP Ali Mardan Khosa conducted an inquiry in the light of the charge-sheet and found SHO Akram guilty of the charges. He recommended that a major penalty be awarded to Akram and he should not be posted as SHO in any police station for three years. “Akram helped notorious people having links with land grabbers and such an attitude should never go unpunished,” he added.

CPO Azhar Akram relieved the SHO of his duties allowing his transfer from Multan district to Khanewal district that was allowed by the RPO on July 27. The CPO also sent documents regarding disciplinary action against Akram to the Khanewal district police officer (DPO) on Aug 18 who posted Akram as Mian Channu City SHO. The RPO, on finding out, not only suspended his orders but also suspended Akram on Aug 20.

He also directed the Khanewal DPO to return the documents regarding disciplinary action and told the CPO to finalise action against Akram on Aug 27 while intimating him about it.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2016