SARGODHA: A case has been registered against 26 lawyers, six of them nominated, allegedly for shouting slogans inside the city police station and threatening the police officers with dire consequences on Thursday.

As per police report, lawyers Umar Joya, Safir Abbas, Zain Musharraf Gujjar, Atif Mirza, Akbar Bhatti, Raza Shah, along with their 15-20 unidentified colleagues arrived at the police station and started pressurising Station House Officer (SHO) Rana Asad Owais for registration of a case.

They said when the SHO told them that as the matter was in the court, he could not register the case, the lawyers chanted slogans, shouted at the police officers present there and threatened them with serious consequences.

On the other hand, the lawyers alleged that the SHO was biased and refused to register a case as per law.

Later, the police registered a case against 26 lawyers under sections 353,186 and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for interfering in the official work and started investigation.

PROTEST: The office-bearers of the local goods transport association have warned of a wheel jam strike if the traffic police did not stop imposing “unjustified” fines and impounding their vehicles.

Staging a protest demo here on Thursday, the association members shouted slogans against the local traffic police, also accusing the officials of misbehaving with the drivers and helpers.

They alleged that even on minor issues, the traffic police officials impound their vehicles, terming it their “economic murder”.

They said that on Wednesday, a trailer carrying goods fell into a canal as its driver got panicked because traffic police were chasing the vehicle. They said the incident not only resulted in a heavy damage to the trailer, but also to the goods it was carrying.

They said because of impounding of the trailers, the goods, including life-saving drugs, got damaged.

They warned if the traffic police did not improve their conduct, the transport owners would go on a wheel jam strike in all districts, expanding the scope of their protest to the entire Punjab.

ACQUITTED: Additional Sessions Judge Iftikhar Ahmed acquitted two accused persons who were arrested by police for allegedly fracturing the fingers of a complainant’s son, on the basis of a bogus medical certificate, and authorised them to take legal action against the hospital staff for issuing the fake document.

According to the court sources, Tahir Iqbal and Hasnat, both residents of Mian Amir Colony, Dharima, were charged with severely torturing Tajmal Abbas, the young son of their opponent, Khurram Abbas, allegedly resulting in multiple fractures to his fingers.

The complainant had submitted a medical certificate in the court issued by Sargodha District Headquarters Hospital to prove the fractures.

The two accused had been arrested by Jhal Chakian police in a case registered under sections 337-f5, 33-f1, 337-l2, 148 and 149 of the PPC and sent to jail.

However, when they were presented in the court, the judge ordered their examination by a medical board, which in its report declared the injuries self-inflicted.

In the light of the report, the court acquitted the accused ordering their release, and allowed them to take legal action against the DHQ hospital doctor who issued the bogus medical certificate.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2024