LAHORE, July 14: Justice Khwaja Mohammad Sharif of the Lahore High Court observed on Thursday the people had no trust in police and its image stood tarnished in society because the force often overstepped the limits imposed by law as well as their duty. Citing the example of the Qila Gujjar Singh police which allegedly demolished the house of a person Mohammad Hanif adjacent to the police station, Justice Sharif observed that the police took the law in their own hand instead of seeking their claim through a civil suit. In doing so, the police behaved in a barbarian manner by demolishing the house of the petitioner.
Disposing of the petition, the court said that the petitioner could get criminal cases registered against the police officers and officials who were responsible for demolition of his house in May this year.
The police, according to the court, were a disciplined force obliged to act as guardian of life and liberty of the citizens without discrimination, as enshrined in article 25 of the Constitution which provided for equality of all without any distinction of caste, creed and social status.
The court also observed if steps were not taken to restore the people’s confidence and the image of the police as a watchdog, it would be disastrous for society.
Reverting to the petition, Justice Sharif observed that if such highhandedness was resorted to while senior police officers were in the knowledge of the developments taking place in the case, what could be the extent of police maltreatment of the citizens if their superiors were not at the helm of affairs.
The petitioner had moved the high court against the Qila Gujjar Singh police laying claim on his ancestral house measuring two marlas and 198 square-feet at Abbot Road.
Hanif submitted that police started threatening him last year. On April 29, this year, according to the petitioner, SHO and four constables forcibly occupied his house and on My 3, the police got the wall of his house demolished.
The petitioner held the City Police Officer, SSP (Investigations) Chaudhry Shafqaat Ahmad, DSP (Legal) Syed Ijaz Ahmad and the SHO as respondents in submitting that the police occupation of his house was unlawful.
The court appointed advocate Malik Noor Ahmad Awan as local commission who reported that the petitioner could claim only three-fourth of a marla and the remaining land belonged to the police. The police claimed that they were allotted 22 kanals of land for the construction of the police station at Abbot Road and much of the area was under illegal occupation of the area residents.
The court allowed the petition to the extent that three-fourth of the marla land belonged to the petitioner. The court directed the police to get the land of the size demarcated with the help of the revenue authorities and hand over its possession to the petitioner within seven days. As for the remaining land, the court directed the petitioner to approach a civil court to establish his claim.
EZAD ALTAF: In a related development, the high court proceeded in a writ petition moved by one Ezad Altaf, another resident of the same area at Abbot Road, who submitted that the SHO and about 50 constables of Qila Gujjar Singh police station raided his two-marla house on April 24 this year.
According to the petitioner, the police threw his household articles outside, disgraced women and gave male members of the family severe beating and took away the photocopy machine which was the only source of his livelihood. He submitted that the police wanted to occupy his house claiming that its land belonged to the police station. The court appointed the same local commission for the examination of the site and submission of report.