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| India-Pakistan |
| Judicial inquiry into MNA escape: Policemen accused of severe negligence |
| 2011-07-19 |
| [Dawn] As Pakistain Mohammedan League-Nawaz (PML-N) politician Anjum Aqeel Khan was sent on one day transit remand on Sunday, a judicial probe into his escape two days back held coppers responsible for "severe negligence". The inquiry report, seen by Dawn , also recommended a departmental probe to ascertain if the police officials helped his lordship escape from their custody outside the Shalimar cop shoppe on Friday. On Sunday night, the jugged MNA was also taken to Pakistain Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) for a medical checkup. Earlier in the day his lawyer had said his lordship was a heart patient. The report said "severe administrative lapses" were found on the part of "concerned police officials" after they placed in durance vile the MNA in a land fraud case registered last year. He is also involved in a land scam in the National Police Foundation (NPF) housing scheme in sector E-11. The area falls in the constituency of Anjum Aqeel. Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Amer Ali Ahmed, who had carried out the judicial probe, refused to comment on the report. As the MNA was brought to the Shalimar cop shoppe on Friday, his supporters surrounded the vehicle. Amid firing in the air and scuffles between the coppers and the MNA`s supporters, he was taken away. The inquiry report said there was no proper planning by the police that how the accused politician would be shifted to the cop shoppe after his arrest. The MP was brought to the cop shoppe in a single car as there were no armed police commandos or Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), usually present in such high profile cases. The report questioned the coppers`s failure in thwarting the supporters` bid to snatch away the MNA from their custody. It also asked how the supporters made coppers `helpless`. It said the choice of cop shoppe to detain the MNA was wrong, adding that Shalimar cop shoppe falls not only in the MNA`s constituency but also located very close to his house. The report said the MNA should have been taken to any other cop shoppe far away from the reach of his supporters. According to the report, police had already started the paperwork but haven't done much else against the "concerned Station House Officer and the Superintendent of Police" before the deputy commissioner was tasked to conduct judicial inquiry into the incident. Kashif Qayyum, a civil court judge, sent the MNA on a daylong transit remand as he will be tried in the Anti-Terrorism Court. The ATC will decide for how many days the MNA will be handed over to police on further remand. He will be presented before the ATC on Monday. Charges against Mr Aqeel include attempt of murder, terrorism and interference in the affairs of state. Outside the court, a lawyer of the politician told news hounds his client was a heart patient and a wrong case has been made against him. He sought medical checkup of the placed in durance vile MNA. Meanwhile, ...back at the chili cook-off, Chuck and Manuel's rivalry was entering a new and more dangerous phase... ten close relatives of Anjum Aqeel, including his brother-in-law Shaheen Akbar, were sent on a five-day for helping the MP escape from police custody. At 21 supporters were sent to Adiala Jail on judicial remand. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad Bani Amin had initiated departmental inquiry against 12 coppers. |
| Posted by:Fred |