RAWALPINDI – Due to lethargic attitude of City Police Officer (CPO) Azhar Hameed Khokher, the case of city traffic warden, who was mercilessly beaten by Station House Officer (SHO) New Town three days ago, was apparently swept under the carpet as no action has so far taken against the accused cop.
On November 21, 2012, SHO PS New Town Syed Ijaz Shah along with his five to six cops had severely thrashed a uniformed traffic warden Khurram Nazir after detaining him in the police station when he (warden) caught the SHO listening mobile phone while driving a private car in civvies at Rawal Chowk.
A written complaint had been tabled before Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Syed Ishtiaq Hussain Shah by the victim warden. The CTO informed CPO Azhar Hameed Khokher about the incident the same day.
The delaying tactics on the part of Rawalpindi police bosses not only has disheartened the young traffic warden Khurram Nazir, whose only crime was to teach traffic laws to the defiant SHO Syed Ijaz Shah, but also dampened the hopes and courage of tens of hundreds of other traffic wardens who now feel insecure during duty on the roads.
However, Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Syed Ishtiaq Hussain Shah is seemed determined in providing justice to the victim warden and to bring the SHO Ijaz Shah to book for committing cognizable offence.
Khurran Nazir, the traffic warden, while talking to TheNation on Friday, expressed his concerns over criminal mum on the part of CPO Office on the issue. He said that no action has been taken against SHO Ijaz Shah and his other men despite the fact he had filed a complaint with officers concerned.
“I do not know as to why the police big wigs are sparing a guilty police officer who had beaten a warden that too in uniform,” the warden said adding that some police highups rang him up and requested to settle the dispute with SHO Ijaz Shah.
He said that he simply asked the sympathizers of guilty SHO that he would first thrash the SHO Ijaz Shah in the same fashion he (SHO) did in presence of many people on the road and then would accept his apology.
Khurram demanded a strict departmental action against Ijaz Shah and his cops.
CTO, SSP Traffic Syed Ishtiaq Shah, during an interaction with this scribe, said that the matter was brought into the notice of CPO, who according to him has only the authority to punish Ijaz Shah.
He said that it might be possible that CPO was not taking action because of his unavoidable and busy schedule for Muharram security.
When asked whether Ijaz Shah was not being punished for his strong political affiliation with ruling party in the province, CTO hastily replied “No, I will not let my subordinate down as I am waiting for the peaceful passage of 10th Muharram. After, I will take up the matter once again with authorities concerned”.         
CPO Azhar Hameed Khokher could not be approached immediately for his point of view.