ISLAMABAD: The Industrial Area police on Tuesday booked former adviser to the president on human rights and PPP deputy secretary information Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar for carrying prohibited weapons without permits.

The case was registered after Station House Officer (SHO) Industrial Area Inspector Qasim Niazi was suspended on the direction of the interior minister for not arresting Mr Khokhar after intercepting him at Islamabad Highway.

However, senior police officers showed resentment over the removal of the SHO and saved him from the punishment claiming that he was not present in the police station when Mr Khokhar was intercepted.

Officials of the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) spotted some vehicles, including a double-cabin, on Expressway in which armed persons were travelling.

The officials alerted the police control and asked to check the vehicles.

In response, the vehicles were intercepted near I-8 signal.

“Politician Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar disembarked from one of the vehicles and asked the police about the reason for intercepting him,” the police said.

The SHO told him that they wanted to search the vehicles.

After the search, when the police asked for the permits and licences of the weapons, Mr Khokhar and the armed men failed to produce the documents, the police said.

However, they told the police that the documents would be brought from Mr Khokhar’s residence later. The police then let the vehicles go without taking any action.

Later, a case was registered against Mr Khokhar under the Arms

Ordinance and for disobeying an order by a public servant.

The police said one of the charges was non-bailable.

When contacted, Mr Khokhar said it was a political victimisation by Chaudhry Nisar as a police team under the supervision of SHO Qasim Niazi was waiting for him near the I-8 signal.

He said he was going home after arriving at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport from Sweden.

“I produced the licences of the weapons and fulfilled all the legal requirements and the police allowed me to move on,” he added.

“However, the minister suspended the SHO for not taking action against me and appointed another SHO who registered the case.”He claimed that he was under threats from the outlawed TTP for not paying them extortions.

“After the police denied me security, I arranged my personnel guards,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad Bar Association announced to observe a strike on Wednesday against the registration of ‘a false FIR’ against Mr Khokhar, who is a member of the bar.