FAISALABAD, April 27: The district and sessions judge will announce on Monday his verdict on summoning President Pervez Musharraf and 11 high ranking government officials for recording statements in the incident in which over two dozen journalists were injured due to police baton-charge.
The one-man tribunal, headed by DSJ Jawed Iqbal Saddiqui, resumed its proceedings a couple of days ago by directing the journalists as well as the general public to record statements about the incident of April 14, 2002, so that responsibility could be fixed and the motive behind the baton-charge be ascertained.
Faisalabad Union of Journalists decided to pursue the case and filed an application before the tribunal requesting to summon President Musharraf, his military secretary, Punjab home secretary Brig Ijaz Shah, the then PID director general Akram Shaheedi, the then Faisalabad DIG Talaat Masood, the then Faisalabad SSP Tasaddaq Husain, the then SP city Arshad Husain Shah, the then DCO Iqbal Ahmad, the record keeper of the police wireless branch and the wireless operator who performed duties on April 14, 2002.
According to the FUJ, the body is not in a position to present the proper record pertaining to police and other officials, therefore, the tribunal should summon the high ranking officers concerned for the same. The union also challenged the status of the tribunal claiming that the same had ceased to exist in the eyes of law as the government had neither reconstituted it nor extended its period.
THREAT: The Motorcycle Commission Agents and Dealers Association has threatened to protest on roads against seizing of hundreds of their two-wheelers without any justification.
Talking to newsmen here on Sunday, association president Mohammed Shafiq and other office-bearers said hundreds of policemen besieged the Motorcycle Market of Jinnah Colony last Thursday and raided the shops describing dealers and commission agents as vehicle-lifters.
They alleged the police personnel not only misbehaved with the shopkeepers, but also threatened them with dire consequences. The police took into possession over 200 motorcycles despite the fact that the shopkeepers had a complete record of the same. They warned in case their motorcycles were not released within 24 hours, they would be left with no option but to stage a protest demonstration.
Meanwhile, the shopkeepers of motorcycle market staged a sit-in in front of the Gulberg police station and chanted slogans against the area police.
They demanded early release of their two-wheelers apprehending that spare parts would be replaced at the police station.
PATWARI BOOKED: The Anti-Corruption Establishment booked a Patwari for receiving illegal gratification from a villager on Sunday.
Akram Khan, a patwari of Tandlianwala tehsil, allegedly received Rs41,500 from Mohammed Aslam for the transfer of a property.
OBITUARY: The mother of district police officer Zafar Abbas Luk died here on Saturday night.
Her qul will be held on Monday at 11am at Sargodha residence of the DPO.