RAWALPINDI, May 21: Police have summoned the local leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf, who had been booked for the murder of a political activist, violation of the election code of conduct and violence during election campaign, it has been learnt.
A source in the police said the political leaders were asked to appear before the investigating officers to clarify their positions pertaining to the criminal charges leveled against them.When contacted, the city police officer (CPO) Abdul Razzaq Cheema confirmed that the police had summoned the political leaders, and notices had been sent to them.
“If they are found guilty, the police would move in accordance with the law,” the CPO said.
He also revealed that the murderer of Usman Farooq, a PTI activist killed in Rehmanabad on the polling day, had been traced but was still on the run. A police team had been sent to Azad Kashmir to arrest him.
According to the police sources, three cases each had been registered with the Sadiqabad police and the New Town police related to the election violence.
The cases are registered against contesting candidates of PML-N (Mohammad Hanif Abbasi) and PTI (Chaudhry Mohammad Asghar) and their supporters.
The Sadiqabad police arrested one political activist associated with the PML-N, who was caught red-handed attempting to steal the statue of a lion (PML-N’s election symbol) from the Sadiqabad election office.
On the other hand, the police have hesitated to arrest Hanif Abbasi in connection with the cases registered against him.
The most serious case against Mr Abbasi and hundreds of his supporters was registered with the Waris Khan police, in which Mr Abbasi was directly nominated for attacking a police van.
He is also wanted for investigation in the murder case of Usman Farooq, but is not directly nominated.
Another police officer, requesting anonymity, said Mr Abbasi had been summoned by the police according to section 161 of the law, which binds him to appear before the IO and clarify his position.
“It is up to the station house officer (SHO). He can arrest the accused immediately or keep the arrest pending,” the police officer said, adding that apparently it seemed that the cases would be withdrawn when the PML-N forms the next government.
“The police are uncertain whether to arrest the political stalwarts nominated in the cases or follow the policy of ‘wait-and-see,” he said.
According to a police source, the summons sent to the accused had been received and one of them had left for Lahore while the other had still not appeared before the police.