SHO among officers suspended for 'mistaken' raid at Barrister Gohar's residence

ISLAMABAD: As many as five officers including Margalla Police Station SHO have been suspended a day after a special force of the Islamabad Police on Saturday conducted a raid at the house of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Islamabad police said in a statement on Sunday.

A day earlier, the capital city police conducted a raid at Gohar’s residence in Islamabad’s F/7-2 area to arrest the absconders involved in the May 9 violence and other anti-state activities, according to The News.

The police manhandled the family of Barrister Gohar, damaged property, and took away valuable documents, mobile phone sets and a laptop, Barrister Gohar’s relatives told the media.

Barrister Gohar was pleading with PTI’s electoral symbol at the time police raided his house. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa had also expressed concern over the incident and directed the additional attorney general (AGP) to look into the matter.

In the statement today, the capital police said on the afternoon of January 13 (Saturday), the local police reached F-7/2 in search of an absconder on a tip-off provided by an informer.

“The police immediately returned after finding out that the said house belonged to Barrister Gohar. Barrister Gohar complained in the Supreme Court that the police went to his house,” the statement added.

The CJP summoned the capital city police officer and ordered an investigation into the matter, the statement said.

It said the Islamabad police IG Dr Akbar Nasir Khan has appointed DPO city as inquiry officer and orders have been issued to submit a detailed report within three days.

“Five officers including SHO Margalla have been suspended till further orders.”

The capital police said an inquiry is being carried out and strict action will be taken against the officials found violating the law.

Barrister Gohar, who was at that time pleading the PTI case in the top court, got information about the incident and rushed to his house.

The PTI leader, while talking to the media, said that masked police personnel broke into his house and spread out in the building and stormed into rooms to search the house, adding that they handcuffed one of his sons and tortured his wife and other members of the house.

He asserted that they took away valuables including documents, laptop, and snatched away mobile phone sets from his sons. Gohar, later, captured footage of his house with witnesses and submitted it before the Supreme Court bench hearing the case.

Islamabad IGP Dr Akbar Nasir later visited the house of Barrister Gohar, the police had said and added that the raiding party went to the house on a tip-off but came back after learning that it was the house of the PTI leader.

The IGP, while talking to the media, said that it was an “ignorance-based” raid but as they got information that it was the residence of Barrister Gohar, they came back.