CHAKWAL: A PTI activist, who was detained under Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) on Dec 21, was rearrested shortly after getting released from Jhelum prison on Dec 22 — this time on cow theft charge, sources told Dawn on Sunday.

Mohammad Naseeruddin Babar alias Babar Gujjar was among the four PTI activists who were detained on Dec 21 under the MPO on the order of deputy commissioner (DC) Chakwal.

Advocate Syed Najamul Hassan, the lawyer of PTI’s president Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Malik Akhtar Shahbaz, PTI’s candidate for PP-22; PTI Choa Saidan Shah tehsil general secretary Malik Ehsan Mehmood and Babar Gujjar, an office-bearer of PTI’s Youth Wing in Choa Saidan Shah, were detained under MPO on Dec 21 on the order of DC Chakwal. However, after the arrest of Advocate Syed Najamul Hassan, the district administration faced intense pressure from the District Bar Association as well as the Punjab Bar Council and had to release the four detainees.

The deputy commissioner, therefore, issued the release order early Dec 22 morning. In her order, she said after receiving a letter from the district police officer (DPO) in which the police officer stated that law and order situation had significantly improved so further detention of these four persons was no longer required.

“As these four persons were released from Jhelum prison, Malik Akhtar Shahbaz was rearrested by Kallar Kahar police in May 9 incident while Babar Gujjar was sent behind bars in a cow theft case,” PTI’s district general secretary Advocate Chaudhry Tallat Mehmood told Dawn.

According to the FIR registered on Sept 18, Mohammad Atif, a resident of Minhala village in Choa Saidan Shah tehsil, told the police that his cow, which was valued at Rs60,000, did not return home in the evening after day-long grazing in a jungle and expressed the apprehension that it might have been stolen

Police neither failed to trace his cow nor the thief for three months. However, on the night of Dec 21, police picked up Babar Gujjar in that case as soon as he came out of the prison.

When contacted, the complainant, Mohammad Atif, told Dawn that Babar Gujjar could not have taken his cow as his village Chhumbi was far away from that of Gujjar.

Police have taken the physical remand of Babar Gujjar for two days.

When contacted, Investigating Officer Rehmatullah confirmed to Dawn that Babar Gujjar had been arrested in a cow theft case. “He would be discharged from the case if he is proved innocent,” the officer added.

Advocate Tallat Mehmood condemned police action and termed it a mockery of law and authority.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2023