ISLAMABAD: A person seeking justice set himself ablaze on the premises of the Supreme Court here on Monday afternoon to register a protest against an SHO of the Rajanpur police station.
Asad Munir, 40, went to a bathroom and set himself on fire after tearing off his Shalwar and Kamiz, people who witnessed the incident said.
As the flames engulfed him, he rushed out of the bathroom and started crying. Later, he ran out of the building and fell down, witnesses said. Staff members of the Supreme Court rushed to extinguish the fire.
Later, talking to the media outside the main entrance of the Supreme Court, Asad Munir said he was seeking justice for the last three years. He had filed an application against an SHO of Rajanpur with the apex court, requesting to take suo motu notice against him but got no response. Finally, he decided to immolate himself in front of the Supreme Court to register his protest.
Narrating his ordeal, the man said he solemnised love marriage with the cousin of a policeman, now SHO Rajanpur police station, against his will. The SHO started booking him in different criminal cases and not only managed to dismiss him from the police service, where he served as a constable, but later also got his signature and thumb impression on the divorce papers at gunpoint.
The former constable said he took the matter to the family court and additional district and sessions judge, Rajanpur, who decided the case in his favour. He said his efforts to get justice bore no fruit and he finally knocked at the door of the Supreme Court but remained unheard.
Station House Officer (SHO), Secretariat Police Station, Hakam Khan, said the man had committed a criminal offence by attempting suicide and would be dealt with according to law.
“He will be booked and arrested under Section 325 PPC (attempted suicide),” Hakam Khan said. He said the accused had been shifted to the Burn Centre of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for treatment.
When approached, Dr Waseem Khawaja, a spokesman for the PIMS, told this scribe that Asad was out of danger. The doctor said the man had received minor burn injuries and could be sent home within hours.
Sohail Khan adds: “I am visiting the Supreme Court for the last three years but no one listens to me,” Munir told reporters while he was on fire. He said after disappointed by the judicial system, he alighted himself to call attention to his case.
“I have minor kids. I filed two applications in the Supreme Court, one against the service tribunal’s decision for not reinstating me and second a human rights appeal to chief justice to take notice of my,” Asad said.
Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq condemned the incident. He said the Supreme Court judges are overburdened. They work very hard for dispensation of justice to the litigants and they keep on sitting in their chambers till late night.
Asma Jehangir, President Supreme Court Bar Association termed the incident as a dangerous act. “Still proper advocacy for the litigants is the need of hour to inform the people that the apex court cannot take every case as human rights case that are not having any public importance or where fundamental rights of the people are not violated,” she told reporters.
She said the apex court is the last remedy for cases, adding that the high courts could be approached first by aggrieved persons under Article 199 of the Constitution. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court issued the following clarification:
“An unfortunate incident occurred in the premises of the Supreme Court today i.e. 20.06.2011 wherein one Asad Munir s/o Munir Ahmad resident of Rajanpur District, Punjab tried to burn himself. He was immediately rescued by the police and local staff and was given first aid in the Supreme Court dispensary. He was referred to the Burns Centre at PIMS Hospital. His condition is stated to be out of danger.
A detailed perusal of his case reveals the fact that he was a police constable working in the Rajanpur District. He was dismissed from service on the ground of unauthorized leave and showing irresponsible behaviour unbecoming of the constable of a law enforcement department.
The report was called from Inspector General Police wherein it was revealed that in addition to his irresponsible behaviour he abducted his sister-in-law from her house. As per police report, he also deceived another woman namely Mst Salma Yasin who was a teacher and arranged secret marriage with her and divorced her subsequently. The said teacher also filed a petition of abduction against him in the court of law. The police report stated that on this gross misconduct and due to immoral activities, inquiry was conducted in accordance with law and he was dismissed from service.
He filed two departmental appeals which were rejected. He approached the Punjab Service Tribunal and filed appeal No. 1101/2008 which was duly rejected.
It is a matter of record that he never went into appeal against Punjab Service Tribunal’s decision. However, he filed an appeal in the HR Cell of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on March 03, 2010. Since his appeal is not entertainable under the law and since he never challenged his dismissal in the Supreme Court, therefore, HR Cell of the Supreme Court filed his application.
It further clarified that the apex court provided relief to applicants purely on merit and in conformity with the existing rules and regulations. No deviation from the rules is allowed nor condoned on the protest of an individual.
Presently he is in the Burns Centre at PIMS where free treatment is being given to him. According to doctors he will recover from his injuries within 3/4 weeks. Hospital authorities have been directed to provide him all possible service and look after him.”
