LAHORE - In the aftermath of Minar-e-Pakistan incident involving harassment of a woman by an unruly mob on Independence Day, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Friday removed four police officers from their positions after they were found guilty of dereliction of duty for failing to protect a citizen.
On the direction of the Chief Minister, DIG Operations Lahore Sajid Kiani has been made OSD while SSP Operation Lahore Syed Nadeem Abbas and SP (City) Hassan Jahangir have been removed from their posts.
Similarly, DSP, Usman Haider and SHO Police Station Lorri Adda, Muhammad Jamil have been suspended for showing negligence and delay in response. Also, the Project Director and Deputy Director of Greater Iqbal Park have been suspended from their posts for showing negligence.
Chief Minister chaired a meeting at his office on Friday and expressed strong indignation over some incidents that happened in Lahore recently including the Minar-e-Pakistan incident.
He expressed displeasure over the delay in police response and negligence from duties.
IG Police, ACS (Home) and Housing Secretary briefed the CM about different aspects of the case. Law Minister Raja Basharat and Principal Secretary to CM were also present.
A day earlier, Sardar Usman Buzdar chaired a meeting at Punjab Safe Cities Authority head office to review progress made on the tragic incident that occurred at Minar-e-Pakistan.
A committee was constituted under Secretary Housing to determine the role of PHA.
This committee was tasked to ascertain the responsibilities and the alleged negligence of PHA officials. An inquiry committee constituted under additional IG police/MD PSCA Sardar Ali Khan was directed to identify the negligence and responsibilities of the security staff.
The CM declared it a test case while maintaining that it will be brought to the logical end without any delay.
He said the affected woman will be provided justice while fulfilling the legal requirements.
“The accused persons deserve no leniency”; he said and directed to proceed with investigation scientifically to apprehend the offenders.
IG Police presented the initial report and told the CM that identification of culprits was in progress in collaboration with NADRA and some of the accused had already been held.
Law Minister Raja Basharat, ACS (Homs), MD & COO PSCA Principal Secretary to CM, Commissioner and CCPO Lahore, and others were also present
Meanwhile, the police on Friday arrested 20 suspects in connection with the Greater Iqbal Park incident. They were handed over to the CIA for investigation.
The police arrested the suspects from areas in the vicinity of the park and shared their details with NADRA for identification.
Also, the Punjab government on Friday released medical examination report of the victim Ayesha Akram detailing the injury marks on her body.
According to the report, scratches and signs of inflation were found on parts of her body confirming the severity of the assault.
