ISLAMABAD, Sept 17: Station House Officer (SHO) of Secretariat Police station, Inspector Haq Nawaz Ranjha was removed from his post and censured over his involvement in assisting the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) in arresting the former premier’s son, Ali Musa Gilani in a hostile manner, sources told Dawn.
The order was issued from the Central Police Office (CPO) over the government and interior minister’s displeasure for helping the ANF.
The sources in the CPO told Dawn that the seniors were facing the heat from the corridors of the ruling party.
Over the displeasure of the ruling party, the senior police officers in CPO obtained the details of the incident which revealed that the ANF officials did not approach the capital police or seek help in writing for the arrest of junior Gilani.
But the SHO Secretariat, Inspector Haq Nawaz Ranjha acted on his own free will, after the ANF official verbally asked him to ‘maintain law and order’ during the arrest.
On September 14, Ali Musa Gilani, a sitting member of National Assembly, was picked up at the gate of the Supreme Court. He was roughed up, and dragged out from his vehicle and bundled in the ANF’s official vehicle, after being handcuffed.
He was allegedly involved in the Ephedrine quota case and had come to the SC to seek bail. During the hostile treatment, he suffered injuries and blood stains smeared his trousers, above the left knee.
The sources said that ANF neither approached the Secretariat Police to inform them about their move to arrest the MNA nor informed the police about it verbally in writing.
In practice, police before conducting an operation and making an arrest from it limits have to register — Hazari Register (attendance) placed at every police station.
Earlier, anti-corruption Rawalpindi and Rawalpindi Police approached the capital’s Aabpara police when they arrived in the city to arrest Malik Riaz Hussain on June 23.
Former President Islamabad High Court Bar Chaudhry Ashraf Gujar, when contacted told Dawn that ANF was an independent authority and it is not bound to inform the local police while acting under the law.
However, the ANF should also follow the rule and inform the police, while acting under Pakistan Penal Code, he added.
On other hand, an officer of the police prosecution department on condition of anonymity said that in practice the ANF kept their operation a secret on the pretext that the accused would get help from the police and escape from the spot.
However, the ANF after successful operation or arrest got help from CrPC’s section 48 and 49 and justified their act for not informing the local police in fear that the accused may escape.
However, in such circumstances evidence and warrant should be produced to justify the act for the satisfaction of the court of law to avoid the suspicion of malafide intention, he added.