ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court ordered on Monday two separate inquiries into the matter pertaining to transfer of Pakpattan District Police Officer (DPO) Rizwan Gondal over alleged political pressure.
A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, heard a suo motu case of the transfer of the police officer following an alleged altercation with Khawar Maneka, a customs officer and the former husband of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra.
The hearing was attended by Khawar Maneka, his daughter Mubashira Maneka and Ahsan Jameel Gujjer, the son of a sitting Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz lawmaker, Iqbal Gujjer.
Inspector General of Punjab Kaleem Imama, DIG Punjab, and other polices officers were also present in the apex court.
As per the court orders, an inquiry will be carried out into the political interference in the police affairs and it will be headed by IG Punjab.
In other inquiry, Additional IG Punjab will look into the alleged misbehave of police officers with Mubashira, who had accused the officials of manhandling when she was going to a shrine by walk during last month.
The apex court has ordered the Punjab Police chief to submit the reports on both investigations with in a week.
The CJP also commented that Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar will be issued notice under Article 62 (I) (f) of the Constitution for interfering in police affairs.
As the hearing went under way, IGP Imam informed the court that he did not have the file bearing the written orders regarding the transfer of the DPO.
The chief justice then asked why action was not taken against Ahsan Gujjar, who had allegedly inquired the DPO about the mistreatment with Maneka family at the CM house.
Addressing the Gujjer, the chief justice asked: “Are you the guardian of the children?” He replied that he was the unofficial guardian.
Informing court about his interference, Gujjer said that that Maneka’s children were under pressure and a mutual friend had called him from Africa to settle the issue.
When the top judge asked how Gujjer have links with CM Buzdar, he replied: I am a common citizen. The CJP then said, “Do not lie in the court”.
Justice Nisar further remarked that people could not summon the police to their homes and insult them. He added that the police should not bend to the political pressure. He recalled, “I have urged all IGs to end dependency on politicians in a meeting”.
During the hearing, the police chief was asked to show the written orders of the transfer to which he said that the orders were issued verbally.
The Punjab IGP then responded that the removed DPO was guilty of not taking notice of misbehaviour with a woman. The court also reprimanded the provincial police chief over his role in the matter.
Following the dismay expressed by the court, the Punjab IGP left him at the mercy of the Supreme Court.
SC Takes Suo Motu
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had summoned the police bigwigs including Rizwan Umar Gondal, Inspector General Punjab Police and the Regional Police Officer in a personal capacity to court.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/dpo-pakpattan-transferred-after-refusing-to-apologize-to-khawar-maneka/
Reports of Gondal’s transfer stirred a controversy earlier this week, as reports were rife that the transfer was politically motivated.
IG Punjab, however, denied that Gondal was transferred owing to the Khawar Maneka controversy.
