ISLAMABAD: Workers and activists of the PML-N were booked by the capital police for staging a protest at the Supreme Court against the lifetime disqualification of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday.

After the protest, two superintendents of the police were also removed from their posts. One of them was surrendered to the Establishment Division and the other directed to report to the office of the inspector general of police (IGP).

A senior police officer told Dawn that the police had ignored the protest and only reported it in the daily diary.

However, later senior officers, including IGP Dr Sultan Azam Temuri, were summoned to the Supreme Court and reprimanded.

In response, the IGP removed the two SPs and reshuffled six senior officers, including two SSPs. Besides, a case was registered against the local leaders, workers and activists of the ruling party at the Secretariat police station.

The officer quoted the FIR as stating that the PML-N protesters, including women and lawmakers, gathered at the parking area of the apex court’s gate reserved for lawyers and chanted slogans against the verdict and the chief justice of Pakistan.

Later, they gathered at the Constitution Avenue and blocked the road and also chanted slogans.

When contacted, an official of the Secretariat police station said: “So far no arrest has been made and directives in this regard are awaited from senior officers.”

On the other hand, transfers and reshuffling were made over the failure of the police to intercept the PML-N workers and activists, another officer said. He said during the protest the women workers of the PML-N also intercepted a VIP.

The IGP removed SSP security and SP city. There had been no regular appointment at the office of the SSP security for the last a couple of months but SP Diplomatic Protection Department Jameel Ahmed Hashmi was working as the acting head of the department.

The officer said Mr Hashmi was removed from both the posts and surrendered to the Establishment Division.

“He joined the PSP cardre a few years ago but actually he is a ranker so the senior officers made him a scapegoat.”

He said the SP Supreme Court and SSP operations were also responsible for the incident and should have been treated in a similar manner.

But as the SP SC and the SSP operations were PSP officers, they were spared, he alleged.Likewise, SP City Zone Ahmed Iqbal, in whose jurisdiction the apex court is located, was transferred to the IGP office. No other action was taken against him except serving him a show-cause notice.

According to a notification, SSP Traffic Malik Matloob Ahmed was appointed as the SSP security while Assistant Inspector General Farrukh Rashid was made the SSP Traffic.

SSP Counter-Terrorism Force Syed Mohammad Amin Bukhari was given the additional charge of the AIG general while SP Industrial Area Liaquat Hayat Niazi was transferred from Special Branch and appointed as the AIG general.

SP Investigation Sheikh Zuberi Ahmad was given the additional charge of the Industrial Area, SP Saddar Zone Aamir Khan Niazi given the additional charge of SP City Zone.

SP VVIP route Hassan Raza Shah was given the additional charge of the Diplomatic Enclave.

IGP Temuri could not be contacted for comments.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2018