LAHORE: The Punjab government has transferred two senior police officers and suspended another from service for allegedly misbehaving with the family of a Lahore High Court judge at Ring Road interchange that was blocked for ‘security reasons’ during the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) rally at Kahna on Sept 21.

The incident took place at around 6:30pm at Col (retired) Arif Mahmood Interchange near Kamahan village, which was blocked by police for security purposes as the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was holding a public gathering at Kahna on the same date.

The police officers who faced punishment included Security SP Khalid Mahmood Afzal, Kahna Circle DSP Fakhar Raja and Mulsim Town SHO Nadeem Kamboh.

An official privy to the development says the action was initiated against the officials in the light of an inquiry conducted by Lahore Organised Crime Unit (OCU) DIG Imran Kishwar.

DSP and SHO had stopped the family on Ring Road while managing traffic during PTI rally

He says the DIG called all three police officers, reviewed the videos of the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) cameras, statements of the police officials deputed at the location where the incident occurred and the circumstantial evidence.

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The inquiry report proposed the removal of two senior police officers and suspension of the SHO, holding him primarily responsible for misbehaving with the family of the high court judge.

Sharing details, the official says the police personnel stopped the official car of Justice Anwaar Hussain, in which his family was travelling, at the interchange that was blocked with a container. He said the Muslim Town SHO, who was on duty at the point, refused to allow the judge’s family to enter through the interchange, citing ‘security reasons’.

The official says the judge’s family insisted on clearance of the road as they had to take the Lahore-Kasur Road.

As the SHO remained adamant, one of the family members introduced himself as the son of the high court judge, but the police official told him to go back.

Meanwhile, both sides exchanged hot words over the issue as the judge’s family declared the blockade of the public road a glaring violation of law.

As the SHO reportedly misbehaved with the car occupants, one of them made a video on mobile phone and informed the judge about the police’s unauthorised blockade of the road.

The official said that DSP Fakhar Raja, who was also present there, approached the family and politely told them that the police officials were bound to follow the department’s instructions in letter and spirit.

Meanwhile, the SP security also tried to handle the situation, while he was informed by the judge’s family that the SHO ‘misbehaved’ with them first and used objectionable language.

As the family returned from the interchange, the judge took up the matter with Punjab Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar.

The sources say that the senior judge also complained to Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum about the rash behaviour of the police officials, saying one of them held his son by collar and snatched his mobile phone.

Following the complaint, the sources say, the chief justice directed the higher authorities concerned to take notice of the police highhandedness with a judge’s family.

They say that a DIG, along with some other senior police officers, had also visited the residence of the judge, offering an apology on behalf of the officers concerned.

The IG then referred the matter to Lahore Capital City Police Officer Bilal Siddique Kamyana, who admonished the police officers for lacking the skills to ‘manage the issue’ during the high-security situation.

On his directions, the DIG OCU then held an inquiry and primarily declared SHO Nadeem Kamboh responsible for ‘treating the family of the high court judge harshly’.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2024