PTI disciplinary committee hands MPA Imran Shah 0.5m fine

Published August 25, 2018
MPA Imran Shah (right) pictured tendering an apology to citizen Dawood Chauhan (left).
MPA Imran Shah (right) pictured tendering an apology to citizen Dawood Chauhan (left).

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Karachi's Disciplinary Committee on Saturday declared its verdict in the inquiry held against MPA Dr Imran Shah for assaulting a Karachi citizen.

The committee announced that Shah will donate Rs500,000 as a 'fine' to the Edhi Homes Orphanage Centres and also provide free medical treatment to 20 orthopaedic patients recommended by Edhi Trust.

The committee has also warned Shah that any further misdemeanour on his part will lead to his expulsion from the party.

"No individual has the right to take [the] law in their hands and there is an added responsibility over the people in power to especially make sure that the law is at all times enforced and never abused," the committee said in its statement.

A video of Shah assaulting a citizen on August 14 had sparked outrage on social media after it went viral.

Shah was caught on video slapping a man — identified as Dawood Chauhan — multiple times during a heated argument in the middle of a road. The video showed Shah accompanied by armed guards, who also threatened the man.

Subsequently, PTI had taken [notice of the incident][3] and suspended the lawmaker, prompting Shah to post a video in which he sought an open apology for "hurting anyone's feelings", and insisting that he had only "pushed" Chauhan, even though the clip circulating on the internet had shown him raising his hand and hitting the man multiple times.

Shah had also visited the victim to apologise in person.

Referring to the incident, the MPA said he "never wanted to take the law in [his] hand (sic), however, it was in a spur of a moment that I momentarily lost my cool and reacted in a way that brought embarrassment to my position, my party and my supporters".

Statement to Supreme Court

Shah had on Monday also sought a pardon from the Supreme Court. Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had earlier taken suo motu notice of the incident and required Shah to furnish his reply within three days.

“It is humbly submitted that reply of the answering respondent (Imran Ali Shah) be accepted and he may please be pardoned and exonerated,” said a reply moved by Mr Shah while tendering an unconditional apology.

In his reply, Mr Shah claimed that he had no intention to assault or use criminal force against anyone and that in the manner he acted on that day was to exercise the right of self-defence.

Expressing his regrets, the MPA said that while driving his vehicle near the National Stadium he saw a car with an official number plate hitting repeatedly another car parked at the roadside in which a person was also sitting.

Apprehending that the driver of the car had intentions to hit the parked car either to hurt or kill the individual inside it, Shah said, he came out of his car to save the human life and to prevent further damage of the victim’s car.

Shah said the driver of the car was in rage and was even abusive. He said since he was not prepared to hear the filthy language, he approached the car driver to stop him from abusing, but the latter started misbehaving. The MPA said the car driver’s attitude became intolerable to such an extent that he was left with no option but to defend himself and use force to counter the attack towards him.

Shah claimed that the incident was so sudden and the fear so obvious that he could not act patiently.

Later, he along with PTI leader Firdaus Shamim Naqvi visited the house of Chauhan to apologise for his assault and admitted that the act was unintentional, sudden and in self-defence. Chauhan graciously accepted his apology and the matter was resolved, the MPA claimed.

Shah said the owner of the car, which was hit by Chauhan, would endorse that he came to his rescue to save him. He said he came to the help of a person with whom he had no acquaintance at all.

The MPA had further regretted in his statement that the video that went viral on social media was only focused on him and as such the reaction of Chauhan was neither captured nor aired to portray a complete picture.

He said the incident later came to an amicable situation and did not warrant any cognisance.

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.