LAHORE:The Lahore High Court on Monday expressed displeasure over the use of word “desperado” (badmash) in the list of top 10 for the persons who had not been convicted by any court of law.
Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi was hearing petitions filed by Mansha Bamm and Ameer Balaj, son of late Tipu Truckanwala, against inclusion of their names in list of top-10 goons released by the Lahore police.
Both petitioners claimed that they had not been involved in any illegal activity or facing any legal proceedings. Pursuant to court’s order, DIG (legal) Jawad Dogar appeared before the court and conceded that words like “bandit or desperado” should not be used for non-convicted persons in official record or correspondence.
Justice Naqvi remarked that it seemed that police system had weakened but “We all are responsible for it.” He was of the view that only a strong police system would make its personnel polite. “Article 3 of the Constitution categorically explains that exploitation of all kind would not be tolerated. But in our society, the people out of jealousy used police to drag a family member in fake cases who starts earning huge money or got higher education, he added.
Later, the police included their names in the list of top-10 goons on the basis of number of fake cases and ultimately they faced disrespect in society, the judge remarked and added that such a practice should be shunned.
Justice Naqvi directed the DIG (Legal) to use polite words in the list of top-10. In his petition, Bamm said he was a PTI worker, a law-abiding citizen and never involved in any illegal act. Balaj said there were two cases against him and he had been granted bail in them by relevant courts of law.
The petitioners argued that the police included their names in the list of top-10 goons with malafide intension and beyond any lawful reason. They asked the court to order the police to remove their names from the list and also restrain it from causing any harassment to them.
Mansha Bamm had made headlines when former chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar summoned him in a suo motu case relating to illegal occupation of a plot of an overseas Pakistani. Later, police registered multiple cases against him wherein he had been released on bail. Khwaja Aqeel Ahmad alias Gogi Butt also filed a similar petition challenging the list issued by the police.