ISLAMABAD: A sitting member of the National Assembly, Shahjehan Mangrio, was booked by capital police on Wednesday for assaulting a woman constable in uniform outside the gate of Parliament Lodges.

The constable, Afshan Naz, told Dawn that she had lodged a complaint against the MNA in the office of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Parliament Lodges Ghulam Rasool, which was later forwarded to the Women Police Station. She said: “I was called by an officer to the Women Police Station from where I was taken to the Federal Government Services Hospital for a medical exam.”

A moharar at the Women Police Station said results of the medical exam had not come in yet.

In response to the complaint made by the constable, a case was registered at the Women Police Station under Pakistan Penal Code’s (PPC) section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging their duty) and section 186 for obstructing a public servant in the discharge of public functions. A further section of the PPC could be added to the FIR after review of the medical report.

According to the FIR, MNA Shahjehan Mangrio, residing at E-403, called the constable and asked her to come to her room when she was deployed at the reception.

The constable said the DSP would have to be asked if she could go over to the MNA’s room. After hearing this, the MNA started verbally abusing Constable Afshan Naz saying, “I am an MNA, I can call you into my room”.

The constable then informed the DSP and the duty-in-charge SI Mazhar, the FIR states. After some time the MNA drove over to the main gate of the lodges, and parked her car in the middle of the road. After hurling verbal abuses at Constable Afshan, Ms Mangrio slapped her. The FIR states that the MNA manhandled her for four to five minutes.

Because the MNA’s car was blocking the way and other vehicles could not go around, passengers of those cars and other police officers witnessed the incident.

Afshan Naz is quoted in the FIR as saying, “The MNA obstructed official matters, beat and dishonoured me. She should be inquired about the attack on a uniformed official and the act should be taken notice of,” addding that the attack had hurt her self-respect and she had been left feeling insulted.

A senior police officer, asking to remain anonymous, said a case had been registered and guidance had been sought from concerned senior officers to initiate action against the MNA.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2015

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