Islamabad (September 17, 2018): The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday summoned Chief Minister Punjab, Usman Buzdar in DPO Pakpattan Rizwan Gondal’s transfer today.
Rejecting an inquiry report submitted by former Punjab IG Kaleem Imam, Justice Nisar summoned the Punjab chief minister, secretary establishment and Ahsan Iqbal Jamil, a close friend of the Maneka family, at 2pm today.
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The chief justice also directed senior police officer Khalid Lak to inquire into the transfer of the former Pakpattan DPO.
Expressing anger at the former Punjab IG, the chief justice said, “We had faith in you and that’s why we directed you to prepare an inquiry report into the incident but you did it with mala fide intentions. You will not be able to serve in the police if we recommend that.”
Justice Nisar continued, “We trusted you to inquire into the political intervention in the case but you broke our trust.”
“Tell us yourself, are you eligible to be an IG? In order to save one person, you destroyed the whole police force,” the chief justice added.
He further questioned the former Punjab IG, “Who is Jamil to seek clarification from the DPO? Did you not feel ashamed while writing the report?”
Directing Imam to take his police badge off, Justice Nisar said, “Former DPO Pakpattan was suspiciously transferred at 1am and you wrote in the report that nothing wrong happened.”
Imam said that when he found out about the incident he was in Islamabad. However, the chief justice remarked, “You were in Islamabad, not in another country.”
“The Punjab CM watched police officers get reprimanded in front of him. Call Buzdar,” he added.
Turning to Imam once again, the chief justice said, “We gave you a chance but you missed it. The court will decide whether you completed you work honestly or not.” He also asked the former Punjab IG to hire a counsel for his defence.
Earlier on September 12, IG Police, Kaleem Imam submitted an inquiry report into the matter in SC.
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Earlier on September 03, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar said police will be freed from political influence through reforms.
The Chief Justice said action will be taken against police officials who maltreated Khawar Maneka and her daughter.
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According to the details, the Supreme Court began hearing a suo motu case pertaining to the transfer of Pakpattan District Police Officer (DPO) Rizwan Gondal.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar took a suo motu notice of the DPO’s transfer following an alleged altercation with Khawar Maneka — the former husband of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife.
The apex court had earlier questioned the ‘timing’ of the Pakpattan DPO’s transfer and summoned Maneka along with his son Ibrahim Maneka, Ahsan Jameel Gujjar, DIG Shehzada Sultan, and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar’s personal secretary as well as his chief security officer.
After Maneka and his daughter Mubashira reached the apex court premises, Maneka told the media that he and his daughter will record a statement in the court but refused to make further comments.
As the hearing went underway, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Kaleem Imam informed the court that he did not have the file containing the written orders of Gondal’s transfer.
The chief justice then asked why action was not taken against Ahsan Gujjar. “Are you the guardian of the children?” Justice Nisar inquired Gujjar, to which the latter responded that he was the unofficial guardian. He apprised the court that Maneka’s children were under pressure and a mutual friend had called him from Africa.
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The chief justice then asked how Gujjar knew the Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar. “I am a [common] citizen,” Gujjar responded. Justice Nisar then said, “Do not lie in the court. How are you related to the [Maneka] children. Are you their paternal or maternal uncle?”
Justice Nisar further remarked that people could not summon the police to their homes and insult them. Former Pakpattan DPO Gondal, who was also present at the hearing said Gujjar had questioned him over not executing the message he was sent. “Gujjar told me that during the British rule, the [Maneka] family’s properties were looked after by the deputy commissioner,” Gondal said.
The case
Reports of Gondal’s transfer sparked a controversy earlier this week, as speculation suggested that the police officer was transferred because of the August 23 altercation between the police and Maneka.
According to reports, police personnel under Gondal’s watch tried to stop Maneka at a checkpoint for speeding but he did not stop. The police then chased his vehicle and managed to intercept him.
The Punjab IGP Imam, soon after the reports, denied that Gondal was transferred under any pressure and said it was done due to his giving misleading statements about misbehaviour by police personnel with a citizen.
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