Pindi Police ransack journalist’s home in thick of night

Rawalpindi : A police party led by Station House Officer (SHO), Sub-Inspector Ahsan Kiyani from Banni Police Station in Rawalpindi stormed in the house of Shahid Sultan, Staff Reporter of daily ‘Jang’ at around 2:30 am Thursday night, took the whole family hostage, threatened and humiliated them at gun point.

After the police has thoroughly abused and terrorised the poor family, including young girls and the mother, they realised that they had made a mistake and left the house without even offering a word of apology from the terror-struck family.

Shahid Sultan, who had been working as a reporter since 1990 with daily ‘Jang’ said that his wife and daughters were busy preparing ‘sehri’ to keep fast while his two young sons, aged 16 and 14 years, were in their room on first floor in the house, located at Defence Road, Lane-V in Morgah, Rawalpindi.

“I suddenly heard loud shouts and screams at around 2:30 am and I rushed out to inquire about the matter. There were some police officials inside the gate of my home. I suddenly heard shouts and screams from the first floor and I rushed upstairs where I saw two policemen grabbing my young sons with guns pointed at them.

“On my demand as to why they have trespassed my house, the Sub-Inspector Ahsan Kiyani, refused to give any answer and said that they had to conduct search of whole house. He asked me to lead them to ground floor. I told them that my wife and daughters are present there, busy preparing ‘sehri’ to keep fast but they kept hurling threats while using abusive language. They were not accompanied by any female police officials.

“Once down stairs, with the policemen pointing guns at my sons, the sub-inspector asked his subordinated to bring somebody inside. They brought a civilian, whom they apparently had already arrested from somewhere, inside my home. That civilian person under custody of police asked me if a woman by the name of Maria Advocate lives here?

“I told them that this is my own house and I am living here since last 16 years and have never rented out even a single room to anybody. To this the police party realized their mistake and started thrashing that person while moving out of my home,” Shahid Sultan mentioned in the application he filed with the City Police Officer (CPO) of Rawalpindi.

He demanded a stern action against all those involved in this unfortunate incident and also demanded a public apology from the police because the reputation of his and family has been badly damaged.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalist (RIUJ) and the National Press Club (NPC) has strongly condemned this highhandedness of Rawalpindi Police.

“We demand of the Prime Minister, the Interior Minister, the Chief Minister Punjab, the Home Minister Punjab, the Regional Police Officer (RPO) and the City Police Officer (CPO) to look into the matter and take strict and meaningful action for trespassing a respected citizen of Pakistan without lady police, harassing and terrorising the women and children. The incident has left the whole family in trauma and they need psychological counselling to regain their confidence,” the journalist organisations condemning the incident demanded.