Editor
PESHAWAR:
Scores had been left injured on Friday as police and protesters clashed within the Tehkal space of the provincial capital because the latter demonstrated towards the excesses of the previous.
The clashes got here at the same time as the federal government wrote to the provincial judiciary, asking it to probe stories of police detaining an Afghan nationwide, stripping and parading him bare after which torturing him for abusing officers in a video.
Several protests and rallies had been held throughout the province on Friday to protest the torture of Rafiullah alias Amir of Tehkal.
The largest protests had been staged within the Tehkal space, exterior the Peshawar Press Club and in entrance of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (Ok-P) Assembly constructing. Protesters stuffed the street from Saddar to the press membership, blocking it for all kinds of site visitors. Former Awami National Party (ANP) provincial meeting member Alamgir Khan Khalil and members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Youth Wing additionally participated within the protest.
They held aloft banners condemning the police brutality and of filming a detainee in a compromised place after which leaking the movies. Chanting anti-police slogans, they demanded a judicial inquiry into the case and stored the street closed for almost two hours.
As the protesters neared the provincial meeting, they had been charged by police in riot gear. At this, the protesters began pelting law enforcement officials with stones.
To disperse the gang, the police resorted to firing tear gasoline canisters.
The clashes left scores of protesters and law enforcement officials injured.
Meanwhile, protests towards police excesses had been additionally held in Mardan, Swabi, Bajaur, Charsadda, Nowshera, Malakand, Lower and Upper Dir, Swat and different southern districts. Lawyers, social staff, college students and native political leaders participated in these protests.
Judicial inquiry
In a media briefing on the Information Cell within the Civil Secretariat on Friday, Adviser to the Ok-P Chief Minister on Information Ajmal Wazir stated that the provincial authorities has written to the Peshawar High Court’s registrar to appoint a decide who will lead a judicial fee to probe the Tehkal incident beneath the Ok-P Tribunal of Inquiry Ordinance.
Wazir stated that quickly after the video went viral on social media, the provincial authorities had taken quick motion by suspending and reserving the 4 police personnel concerned, together with an SHO. Moreover, the SSP Operation was faraway from his publish.
On the judicial fee, he confirmed that the PHC had been requested to type the probe physique. He added that the physique will likely be tasked with figuring out these chargeable for the incident and that later they are going to be tried as per the regulation.
Noting that the fee has been directed to finish its inquiry inside 15 days, Wazir stated that the federal government will make the inquiry public.
The adviser, nonetheless, urged the general public to not malign your complete police division because of the actions of some
“The misconduct and wrongdoings of some personnel shouldn’t be blamed on your complete police division,” he stated, reiterating the immense sacrifices rendered by the provincial police drive within the warfare towards terror other than serving on the frontlines towards the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2020.
