ISLAMABAD: All seven of those convicted on Wednesday of manhandling an ex-chief justice will be denied their after-retirement benefits, perks and privileges.

The appeals of former Islamabad chief commissioner Khalid Pervaiz, former deputy commissioner Chaudhry Mohammad Ali, former inspector general of police Islamabad Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmed, former senior superintendent of police retired Captain Zafar Iqbal, former deputy superintendent of police Mohammad Jameel Hashmi, former inspector Rukhsar Mehdi and assistant sub-inspector Mohammad Siraj were turned down on Wednesday and were convicted of manhandling a former chief justice.

On March 13, 2007, the officers had manhandled the then chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry when he refused to ride an official car and attempted to march towards the Supreme Court to attend proceedings.

In 2007, the officers had stopped Iftikhar Chaudhry when he refused ride in official car, attempted to walk to SC for proceedings

Some of the officials including ex-IGP Ahmed, ex-chief commissioner Pervaiz, ex-DC Ali are already retired from service while others including ex-SSP Iqbal, ex-DSP Hashmi and the ex-inspector are still in service, police officials said.

A senior police official told Dawn that the conviction will entail dismissal from service and the denial of after-retirement benefits and perks and privileges.

Zafar Iqbal is a grade 21 officer serving in the National Security Council as additional secretary, Mohammad Jameel Hashmi was promoted to SP and is serving in the National Highway and Motorway Police and Rukhsar Mehdi was promoted to DSP and is serving as sub-divisional police officer in Bhara Kahu.

Zafar Iqbal has more than three years of service left, Mohammad Hashmi has two years left and Rukhsar Mehdi has 10 years of service left. Some say this punishment is harsh as the officials were only following directives while others say that the officers should not have violated the law even if directed to do so by their superiors.

Some police officers who witnessed the events of March13, 2007 said all the police higher ups including the IGP, SSP Operations and senior officials of the capital administration were present as well as the then SSP Security Tariq Masood Yaseen. One of the officers told Dawn Mr Yaseen had avoided intercepting the chief justice from walking towards the court.

“He refused orders from senior officers from physically stopping the chief justice,” he said, adding that the then IGP had also used harsh language with him in front of his subordinates. He said the IGP had also poked him with a stick and insisted he intercept the chief justice but he refused.

Mr Yaseen was later removed from his post and a number of raids were conducted at his house as well, the officials said, adding that he and his family had to face a tough time from then the government in place then and the establishment for months afterwards.

Advocate Raja Ghaneem Aabir Khan told Dawn that the punishment of being denied after-retirement benefits will be decided in light of service rules and structure.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2018