Says actions of SHO, accompanying police officers amounted to “gross act of disrespect to member of Senate”
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e ain Pakistan Deputy Chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas. SCREEN GRAB
ISLAMABAD:
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Raja Nasir Abbas on Monday filed a privilege motion against the Station House Officer (SHO) of Barakahu, alleging that he was prevented from reaching his residence and was treated in a “rude and rude manner” at a police check, it emerged on Tuesday.
The motion was filed a day after a high-level delegation of Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP), led by National Assembly Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, was stopped by police from traveling to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) after announcing plans to participate in an ongoing sit-in in Rawalakot. Police officers had stated that they had been instructed by their “senior officers” not to allow the delegation to proceed.
The delegation included Abbas, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, TTAP spokesperson Hussain Ahmad Yousafzai and Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry, adviser to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan.
The motion, dated June 29 and submitted under Senate Rules of Procedure and Rules of Procedure and addressed to Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani, accuses Sub-Inspector (SI) Naeem-ul-Hassan, SHO Barakahu Police Station, of committing “a breach of privilege”.
According to the motion, Abbas was traveling to his residence in Satra Meel, Islamabad at approximately 5:30 pm when he found the road blocked by the police at a check post in Barakahu.
The senator alleged that SI Naeem-ul-Hassan, accompanied by a large number of policemen, approached his vehicle and “in a rude and discourteous manner” informed him that he could not proceed.
Read: TTAP says the police stopped the delegation from traveling to AJK to participate in the sit-in
The motion stated that Abbas identified himself as the Leader of the Senate Opposition and informed the officer that he was traveling to his residence, which was located approximately 2 kilometers from the checkpoint.
“Despite this,” the motion said, “the SHO neither heeded my explanation nor extended the courtesy due a member of Parliament. Instead, he continued to behave in an insulting and disrespectful manner.”
The Opposition Leader alleged that the actions of the SHO and the accompanying police officers amounted to “an obstruction in the discharge of my duties and a gross act of disrespect to a member of the Senate”.
“Such conduct constitutes a breach of the privileges of the House and its members,” the motion said.
Abbas requested that the matter be referred to the Senate Privileges Committee for “appropriate disciplinary and legal action” against the officer in question for allegedly breaching the privileges of the Senate and one of its members.
