MIANWALI, June 1: Despite the passage of three days, the DPO is reluctant to register a case against a cousin of provincial mineral minister Muhammad Sibtain Khan for severely thrashing a school principal.

Government High School principal Abdul Rashid was manhandled in his office on Tuesday by Vocational Training Institute chairman Mushtaq Khan along with project manager Shahsawar Khan and principal Muhammad Javed. Later, the attackers tried to abduct the principal, nearly fainted due to rough treatment, in their official car (LZY-2553). But the school staff failed their attempt and rescued the principal from the clutches of assailants.

The principal reported the matter to DPO Zarat Kiyani and asked him to get registered a case against the accused, but he showed his reluctance for one of the accused is the cousin of the minister.

On Wednesday, the principal along with a number of teachers again approached the DPO for the registration of the FIR, but he disclosed that he was conducting an ‘inquiry’ in this regard.

The DPO also informed the principal that the accused party had also moved an application for the registration of a counter FIR.

He further ‘advised’ the principal that the accused party was quite influential and it would be better for him to get himself transferred to somewhere else.

When contacted, the DPO could not convince as to why he was reluctant to register a case against the accused.

To a question whether such treatment was given to every applicant to hold an inquiry prior to registration of an FIR, the DPO replied in the negative. Finally, the DPO said that he would order for the registration of FIR of both parties.

While District Nazim Obaidullah Khan Shadikhel assured this scribe that he would get the case registered against the assailants.