January 18, 2004

It is shameful when people act innocent on stage, yet have a different personality behind it.

It was a Sunday afternoon when residents of the area came to my apartment and asked me to come down to witness the unbecoming behaviour in the balcony of the apartment on the 3rd floor, which is Nomi Qamar’s. We called the police at ‘15’ and I, with ASI Noor Khan and other residents, went to Nomi’s apartment. He misbehaved, was very drunk and could not even speak properly. We went inside the apartment with the police and saw that a man (Ali Haider), who was not known to me at the time, was with a girl, in an undignified position. The girl immediately rushed to the bathroom and Ali Haider started throwing the alcohol bottles into the gallery. The bottles of alcohol were seen by the residents and the pressmen, later.

The police took the three of them to the station. There was no music playing and no rehearsal taking place. We gave our statements to the police, reporting what we had seen. Honestly speaking, if this unbecoming behaviour had taken place inside the apartment, nobody would have been aware of it. But it was an open theatre out in the balcony, therefore, everybody witnessed the event. They were drunk and did not know what they were doing.

At the police station, our statements were recorded by the duty officer. The young people also gave their statements and accepted that the above allegations were correct. The copy of the statements can be collected from the police. The police prepared two FIRs; one for the unbecoming behaviour displayed openly and the other for consuming alcohol. They prepared a letter for the medico-legal officer (MLO), Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), for their medical report on the confirmation of consumption of alcohol.

Both Nomi and Ali Haider were detained in a room. Press photographers also arrived at the police station and insisted on taking pictures of the two accused, but the SHO used delaying tactics, and during this time, the police rushed the three in a police mobile van. We were informed that they had been taken to the JPMC for the MLO’s report. We immediately rushed there but they were not present. The MLO sent a message on the wireless on my request. After two hours, the SHO arrived with a lame excuse. They were tested in my presence. During that time, their friends came and offered me both threats and rewards. One of their friends took out a pistol on the press photographers in front of the police officer and myself, but they were not stopped by the police.

The medico-legal report has been released, which has confirmed that the three involved were drunk. It is a legal document and anyone can ask for it if there are any doubts about the incident.

Being a Nazim and a representative of the public, it is my responsibility to present such incidents to the law. I have done my part. Now, it is the duty of the law enforcement agencies and the media to play their roles.

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