Punjab minister booked for scuffle with police
27 July, 2009
TOBA TEK SINGH: The Gojra police on Sunday registered two cases against Punjab Revenue Minister Haji Ishaq and dozens of PPP activists on the charge of attacking policemen, snatching their arms and tearing uniforms and the forcible release of two PPP activists arrested on the charge of aerial firing.
The scuffle had taken place in Gojra on Saturday evening between the provincial revenue minister and Gojra City police SHO Bahar Hussain Bhatti. After the inauguration of a TMA road by Haji Ishaq, his gunman Khalid fired in the air and the SHO asked him not to do this again.
When Haji Ishaq returned to the TMA Complex after the inauguration of the road, to attend the Tehsil Nazim’s tea party, gunman Khalid again fired in the air, prompting the SHO to overpower him.
In the meantime, a scuffle started between the PPP activists and the policemen, causing minor injuries to the police van driver Ulfat and the SHO and a PPP worker. Later, Haji Ishaq came to rescue his gunman, which resulted in another scuffle between Haji Ishaq and the SHO.
In the case registered on Sunday on the complaint of the SHO under Sections 356, 153, 152, 148, 149, 186, 353, 224 and 225 PPC, Ishaq and his 10 nominated accomplices Khalid, Babar, Qayum, Ubaidullah, Ahmad, Rizwan, Niamat, Javed Akhtar, Imran Akhtar, Muhammad Akhtar and Zaman were accused of attacking SHO Bahar Bhatti and police van driver Ulfat Butt, tearing their uniforms, attempting to snatch their arms and getting two PPP activists, who were arrested on the charge of aerial firing at the inaugural ceremony of the road, forcibly released.
Another separate case has also been registered by the same police against three PPP activists — Khalid, Babar and Qayyum — on the charge of aerial firing under Sections 285, 286, 11-B and 337 PPC. However, no one has so far been arrested.
Meanwhile, Ishaq addressed a press conference at his office in Gojra on Sunday afternoon and alleged that the scuffle that had taken place on Saturday was due to a conspiracy of his opponents and registration of cases against him and the party workers was also an attempt to destroy the peace of Gojra. He claimed that he had directed his party workers not to create law and order situation on account of police excesses.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference on Sunday, PML-N’s former MNA M Hamza has demanded that the PPP leadership should hold an inquiry into the beating of policemen by Haji Ishaq and his supporters. He said senior provincial minister Raja Riaz should not defend Haji Ishaq without proof and ask him to resign from the post of minister if he was found guilty. He said Haji Ishaq’s men had publicly thrashed and stripped a disgruntled party worker a few days ago only because he had differences with him. He said most parliamentarians and political leaders in Gojra had gunmen who exhibited prohibited arms.
A PML-Q MPA from Gojra Ch Bilal Asghar Warraich has also condemned the attack on the policemen and demanded arrest of the workers. He also demanded the removal of Haji Ishaq from the minister’s post.
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