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Family arrested for trespassing on Azam Swati’s farmhouse freed
ISLAMABAD: The family that was arrested for trespassing on Minister for Science and Technology Azam Khan Swati’s farmhouse was released on Tuesday after a day’s detention in Adiala jail.
Police sources confirmed the release of Niaz Mohammad, his wife, two sons and a daughter.
They further added that the release came about after a settlement was reached between the minister and the detained family.
Both parties submitted their statements on the settlement in the court of the concerned magistrate. Following the agreement, the family was set free.
Earlier in the day, notables of the Bajaur Agency had given the government three days to sack Minister for Science and Technology Mohammad Azam Khan Swati for beating, registering a case against and arresting five of a family for trespassing into his land.
Addressing a news conference, former MNA Sahibzada Haroon Rasheed demanded that Prime Minister Imran Khan take action against the federal minister.
“We have [the support of] hundreds of thousands of people, including residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, who we will ask to conduct a sit-in outside the minister’s house,” he said.
He said the sit-in will be staged outside the minister’s farmhouse and that notable and elders of the Bajaur Agency will hold a jirga on Wednesday to devise a strategy.
Mr Rasheed said that a slum dweller, Niaz Mohammad, his wife, 18-year-old daughter and two sons were arrested and put behind bars when their buffalo entered the minister’s land.
Niaz Mohammad is a labourer who works in a shop in Aabpara and is paid Rs12,000 per month, the former MNA said, adding that the minister’s servants beat the family up and confiscated their animal.
Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2018
Comments (44) Closed
What about the land illegally occupied by Mr Swati. No political party (including PTI) will raise this issue because members from each party has illegally occupied farm houses on murree road and adjacent areas. This land was leased for poultry farms and agriculture purposes at very nominal rate. Did anybody ( even the courts) asked CDA that how they built palaces on this land which was allocated for a specific purpose? Did anybody ever ask CDA that what happened to the "Nallahs" which were flowing through this area and who captured that land. Now the road to Margalla Town get flooded in rain because that natural flow of water has been blocked. Whose farm house is there?
PTI dodges another bullet.
Lets see when the SC will take action against the minister, the matter was highlighted by timely intervention, now its shame for the PM and the minister that they indulge the whole family in false cases
Test for IK. Minister is still living in "before change" period and should be sacked for this criminal act which is ongoing since last 70 years.
shame ...
Naya Pakistan.
There is might in right in our country. The law is only for poor and downtrodden class. Elite class people are butchering and pressing poor people. Executive have become a silent spectator.
Nobody should trespass property of another citizen. Whole episode should have been sorted more amicably. It is a bad practice to use such episodes for political mileage.
Thry could be killed but in #nayapakistan they only beaten and sent to jail
Settlement between a politically and financially strong person living in a 50 kanal house (with ten foot high walls, barbed wire fence outside these walls, and, a huge encroached CDA area outside) and another person living in 2 katcha rooms!!! This MUST not be end of the story and must be taken to the logical end by the Honorable Supreme Court.
What an unequals
What an unequal struggle!
If true this minsiter needs to be removed
Till you make suffer and accountable these people will keep on beating, torturing and humiliating everyone below them.
Naya Pakistan is degenerating faster than the Old Pakistan.
Not a dignified step taken by Azam Swati to detain the family for such a trivial matter. What a shame
Imran Khan has a good chance to set example by punishing his own party wrong doer bringing bad name for his government, if he is found guilty.
Let the truth come out in the court and justice without any pressure be done. The court must send any persons who consider themselves to be over and above the laws of the country behind bars. Sending a clear message to the offenders will stop others from behaving as they own the people of the country.
@Asif Yes every one is firing at it. They don't want this government to work.
Why Mr. Swati had to embarrass the Government for such a trivial personal issue. Making a mountain out of a mole hill. His abilities stand exposed.
Laborer being paid Rs. 12,000 only, while minimum wage is Rs. 15,000. How come a young girl of 18 years was also arrested?
We can change the rulers but not their mentality which remains the same towards common people whether its new or Old Pakistan.
Who is responsible for these animals wondering around and destroying people's yards ?
The question is how come a person having a salary of 12000 have buffalos in islamabad when he is a resident of Bajaur and what about the place he is living in. Has he bought the place where they are living or is it somebody's plot and they are living after getting his approval or have they encroached on the land. All those people criticizing Azam Sawati, can you answer these simple questions.
Swati might be a crook. I am not saying that he is...but the protocol and attention being given to a poor family is bizarre. You dont expect the poor's voice to be raised unless there is an agenda.
@Taimur let’s not make statements without knowing ALL the facts. If you have issues with the land ownership you should report the case and let the law handle it.
@Raheem Uddeen The wrong doer is IK who took action without thorough investigation
Shame on Swati,the sky did not fall If the buffalo entered his property.The same nonsense is going on in I khan's Naya Pakistan where the so called heavy weights are still using their muscles. The IG did the right thing by not picking up the phone as he knew Swati was not calling him to find about his welfare but to give him some dictation.
A role model for the politicians worldwide, naya pakistan.
Shame
test of character..... give him power...
@Asif that's nice, but who is PTI??
How could authorities detain a family? What did the children do?
All hopes about Naya Pakistan fading?
@Waseem So you and I agree that Swati is a good man. Very nice.
Mr. Swati allegedly having made his fortune in USA should know the rules better than anybody else, further being a Senator and a Minister brings some responsibility one hopes. A minor problem of trespassing could easily be resolved by an ASI/SHO. No, we need to get the IG involved and he has to take action! We are special breed with special rules for us. IK should know that coutry is watching he cannot get away with preaching one thing and doing another. If one is in a hole first thing is to stop digging, what PTI hawks do bring in a bigger digger, a loudmouth Chaudhry.
The Senators, MPs and for that matter anybody who is somebody think they are special, Humility is unknown to them. British queen once drove to a horse show some years ago. The gatekeeper stopped the car and said no sticker no access. The driver said come here and listen to me, I am sure you will let me go. Surely he was not fired or transferred. I hope IK and co. learn something from this episode.
No one could have bring a better shame for PM other than PTI’s own Ministers; Sawati and Fawad
@Amir
Mr. Amir,
Mr. Azam Swati is most corrupt person in PTI.
@El Cid
Mr. El Cid,
This is also true.
And the new government can not change the country
and provinces within some years. It is not possible.
@optimist
Mr. optimist,
Because Mr. Azam Swati is corrupt and opportunist.
@Taimur: Very serious issues raised in your post, Taimur! I hope the relevant authorities will respond to your questions.
@Aleem : They followed their cow into the property to retrieve it! No decent human should take the law in his/her own hands , let alone beat them and put them in jail! Minister Swati appears to be arrogant!
Former MNA did good job.
Swati should be prosecuted for such a frivolous lawsuit. It was his responsibility to fence his property adequately. Or does he expect a buffalo to understand the concept of 'trespassing'?