He says the actions of SHO and the police officers accompanying him amounted to a “gross act of disrespect towards a member of the Senate”.
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and Deputy Chief of Tehreek –e-Tahaffuz-e ain Pakistan, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas. SCREEN CAPTURE
ISLAMABAD:
Senate Opposition Leader Raja Nasir Abbas on Monday moved a privilege motion against the Barakahu Station House Officer (SHO), alleging that he was prevented from reaching his residence and treated in a “rude and discourteous manner” at a police checkpoint, it emerged on Tuesday.
The motion was moved a day after police stopped a high-level delegation of Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP), led by National Assembly opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, from traveling to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) after announcing plans to join an ongoing sit-in in Rawalakot. The police officers had stated that their “superior officers” had ordered them not to allow the delegation to continue.
The delegation included Abbas, former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, TTAP spokesperson Hussain Ahmad Yousafzai, and Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry, lawyer of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan.
The motion, dated June 29 and filed under the Senate Rules of Procedure and Business Conduct and addressed to Senate President Yousaf Raza Gillani, accuses Sub-Inspector (SI) Naeem-ul-Hassan of SHO Barakahu Police Station of committing “a breach of privilege”.
According to the motion, Abbas was heading to his residence in Satra Meel, Islamabad, at approximately 5:30 pm when he discovered that the police had blocked the road at a checkpoint in Barakahu.
The senator alleged that SI Naeem-ul-Hassan, accompanied by a large number of policemen, approached his vehicle and “rudely and impolitely” informed him that he could not proceed further.
Read: TTAP says police stopped delegation from traveling to AJK to join sit-in
The motion said Abbas identified himself as the leader of the opposition in the Senate and informed the officer that he was heading to his residence, which was located approximately 2 kilometers from the checkpoint.
“Despite this,” the motion said, “the SHO neither paid attention to my explanation nor showed the courtesy due to a Member of Parliament. Instead, he continued to behave in an insulting and disrespectful manner.”
The opposition leader argued that the actions of the SHO and the police officers accompanying him amounted to “an obstruction in the performance of my duties and a gross act of disrespect towards a member of the Senate”.
“Such conduct constitutes a violation of the privileges of the House and its members,” the motion states.
Abbas asked that the matter be referred to the Senate Privileges Committee to take “appropriate disciplinary and legal measures” against the official in question for allegedly violating the privileges of the Senate and one of its members.
