PESHAWAR: A Pakistan Peoples Party female lawmaker on Friday attempted self-immolation inside the central police office here in protest against what she said grabbing of her land by elements backed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor.

The incident took place in the afternoon, when Nighat Orakzai sprinkled petrol on herself outside the office of KP police chief.

A police official told Dawn that the lawmaker tried to create a scene inside the police headquarters; however, officers present on the occasion calmed her and sent her back home.

He said the PPP lawmaker had apparently carried petrol in a small bottle inside the police headquarters which she poured over herself.

Talking to reporters, Ms Orakzai accused KP Governor Shah Farman of backing land grabbers who have occupied her land. She said police chief Dr Sanaullah Abbasi was not in his office when she went there. She said next time she would go to the Governor’s House to lodge protest.

However, a Governor’s House statement regretted Ms Orkzai’s allegations, saying the lawmaker wanted to have police officers of her choice appointed to her area and that the governor had nothing to do with the postings of officers, which was prerogative of the provincial police chief.

It said transfer of het lawmaker’s favourite police officers out of her area had angered her.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2020