ISLAMABAD: Three more cases, including one for making an attempt on the life of a senior police officer, were registered against the leadership and activists of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT).

Police officials on Saturday said one of the three cases registered with the Secretariat police was filed by Constable Sajad Ahmad, a staff member of SSP Asmatullah Junejo. The complainant stated that he was on duty with the SSP on September 1 near the Kohsar Complex on Constitution Avenue when hundreds of protesters from the two parties armed with batons and slingshots attacked the police.

“The SSP and officials of the local administration warned the protesters but the PTI and PAT leadership, including Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri, kept on inciting them through loudspeakers,” the constable alleged.

In the meantime, he added, a group of 60 people armed with batons and iron rods attacked SSP Junejo.

“They beat us black and blue and also snatched an official pistol and magazines from me.”

Later the injured policemen were taken to hospital. “Since then I have been in hospital and getting treatment,” the constable added.

In response, the police registered a case on the charges of PPC 324 (attempt to commit qatl-i-amd), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to committing theft), 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty), etc. The second case was registered against the marchers in connection with the alleged abduction of a driver of Nadra and detained him for hours.

Alam Sher complained to the police that on September 14 he was going to the Cabinet Division in Nadra’s all-purpose vehicle (APV) on an official duty when seven PAT activists forcefully took him to a tent.

He said they snatched his identity card and detained him for more than six hours. Similarly, another case was registered for stealing a CCTV camera installed near the PTV building.

Constable Ghulam Ali deputed with the Secretariat Security Group stated that 17 security cameras installed at different parts of the Red Zone were monitored from a control room at Nadra headquarters. One of the cameras was installed on a pole near the PTV headquarters on September 12.

Over the installation, the PAT activists raised an objection but the issue was settled at that time.

After three days, on September 15, the PAT activists painted the lens of the camera but later it was cleaned and reinstalled at a higher position. But the camera was later found missing, he added.

The complainant alleged that the PAT activists were behind the theft of the camera.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2014