Faisalabad brawl: Police fail to record statements of Talal, Ayesha Rajab

FAISALABAD: A four-member police team has started investigation into an incident that took place at the Abdullah Garden the other day at night in which Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader and former MNA Talal Chaudhry was injured.

ASP People’s Colony Abdul Khaliq, along with other members, visited the residence of the PML-N’s sitting MNA, Ayesha Rajab, on Sunday. He told the media that the committee wanted to record the statement of MNA, but she was not available at her home. Her guard told the team that she was in Islamabad along with her family members, he added.

However, she told the electronic media that she should not be involved in the matter as she had nothing to do with it. She said she was a daughter, a sister and a mother, and her privacy should be protected. She said whatever was being said about her on the social media was very painful for her.

Meanwhile, a police team also reached a hospital in Lahore, where Talal Chaudhry was admitted for medical treatment, for recording his statement. However, the police were informed that the PML-N leader had already left the room. Therefore, his statement could not be recorded.

ASP Abdul Khaliq said Chaudhry had been discharged from the hospital but the hospital staff failed to produce a discharge slip. Earlier, City Police Officer Sohail Chaudhry constituted a four-member team to probe the incident. The team consists of ASP Abdul Khaliq, SHO Madina Town Aftab Waseem, SHO Women Police Station Farah Batool, and Chowki In-charge Chak 208-RB Bilal Iftikhar. The team was directed to submit its report in three days.

Talal Chaudhry also spoke of the incident, asking the media outlets to wait for him to "issue a detailed statement about the incident". "The news about me being broadcast based on sources is not rooted in facts," he said on Twitter. "Until my position is presented, please do not run any news that may create misunderstandings and resentments.” He said that it had "nothing to do with any woman MNA" and requested the media to "understand the familial sensitivities pertaining to women".

"The honour and dignity of all mothers, sisters, and daughters should be taken care of. It’s reprehensible for some government miscreants to politicise the incident," he stated.

Moreover, PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah said an investigation would decide whether the matter was a violation of party discipline or not, but warned that Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Political Communications Dr Shahbaz Gill "wishes to take the matter in the wrong direction".

In a video, the PML-N leader was seen speaking to police officers in a residential area and complaining of a broken arm. “They snatched away my phone and recorded videos of me,” he was heard saying.

At one point in the video, he was also heard telling security personnel that they may note down the contacts of all their women and call over whomever they wish [to verify facts]. Separately, Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan said the Talal Chaudhry act not only insulted his party but the entire parliamentary fraternity.

He said that Talal Chaudhry had invented a new timing of party organisation, and now he had learnt that any kind of reorganisation at late night could result in broken limbs.

He said that both parties involved in the incident had made a call on 15 and under the law, if someone made a fake call to seek police help, he could be tried. He said Talal Chaudhry was a blue eyed boy of Maryam Safdar and he was assigned the role of using filthy language against rivals. He was even made a minister in the last one-and-a-half years tenure of the PML-N.

Fayyaz Chohan said he had received a video of the incident but didn't disclose them and he followed the party policy. The minister said the matter was being investigated by a police team, headed by ASP Abdul Khaliq, and facts would come to the fore.