FAISALABAD: Police on Wednesday registered a case against a traffic warden who refused to withdraw an FIR against a ruling party MPA’s supporter.

The Ghulam Mohammadabad police registered the case at the behest of the MPA to browbeat the warden and force him to go for reconciliation. Eighteen other people including three policemen who arrested the supporter of the MPA have also been booked on charges of threatening a family with dire consequences.

Submitting an application, Azhar Mushtaq (a brother of Adnan) said 17 armed men including warden Muhammad Asif and four policemen entered his house and threatened his family with dire consequences. Mushtaq said police entered his house to settle score of an incident in which his brother Akhtar had exchanged harsh words with Asif.

Police registered a case against the warden when he refused to withdraw the case against Adnan and Zeeshan. The case was registered under sections 147, 149, 186, 353 and 506 of PPC on May 15.

In his application, the warden said he had stopped Zeeshan for driving his motorcycle without helmet and impounded the vehicle for not having any document. He said Adnan, the employer of Zeeshan, also came there and questioned him for the action and also roughed him up with the help of his accomplices.

Traffic police officers said they had informed the police higher-ups that Gulberg circle DSP Usman Warraich was obliging the MPA and had registered a case against the warden. They said the case had been instituted on false grounds as during the interrogation on Tuesday, the applicant failed to prove his claim that policemen entered his house.

The DSP asked the warden to submit his reply in writing so that the matter could be closed. However, the DSP instead of ensuring justice, registered a case against the warden.

The officials requested Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and IGP Arif Nawaz to look into the issue and ensure justice for the warden.

“Now the police officials are trying to convince us that the case has been instituted against the warden and the policemen so that a challan against the supporters of the MPA could be submitted rather than leaving any room for reconciliation,” says a traffic police official.

The DSP did not respond to the message this correspondent forwarded to seek his version.

Regional Police Officer Ghulam Mahmood Dogar said he would look into the issue.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2019