CM orders probe into Excise, Motorway police scuffle

NOWSHERA: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Sunday took serious notice of the scuffle between the Excise and Narcotics Squad and Motorway Police personnel a day before and ordered a probe into the incidence.

The scuffle had taken place between the officials of the Excise and Narcotics Squad and the Motorway Police at Soryakhel area on Saturday on the GT Road over the checking vehicles.

The Motorway Police officials had alleged that the Excise and Narcotics Squad officials had snatched their collection vehicle which had Rs150,000 cash.

They had alleged that the Excise and Narcotics Squad officials thrashed their senior patrolling officer and aimed guns at him.

The officials of the Motorway Police had got a case registered at the Akora Khattak Police Station against 30 to 35 officials of the Excise and Narcotics Squad Mardan, including Station House Officer Riaz Khan and Sub-Inspector Fahimullah.

The Excise Department officials registered against the officials of the Motorway Police, accusing them of forcibly taking away their colleague.

They had accused the Motorway Police of preventing the Excise and Narcotics Squad officials from foiling a smuggling bid.

The scuffle was widely reported in the media and left the government officials and other people concerned.

The chief minister lamented the clash between the officials of the two departments.

The official sources said Mahmood Khan directed KP Chief Secretary Kazim Niaz, Inspector General of Police Sanaullah Abbasi, secretary Excise and Taxation and chief of the Motorway Police to probe the matter.

“The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government prefers reforms in the departments, not clash,” he said while talking to a senior journalist by phone.

Mahmood Khan said the incident showed a lack of coordination between the two departments which was lamentable.

He said a meeting of the senior officials would be called in the near future to prevent such embarrassing incidents in future.

The chief minister said he himself had ordered the removal of the illegal barricades on the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway and he would take action if such a practice was launched again.

Meanwhile, District Police Officer Najmul Hasnain told this scribe that he was preparing a detailed report on the happening.

He said a one year record of the barricades set up by Excise, Customs and other departments was being compiled. The senior official said a report on the recent scuffle between the Excise and Narcotics Squad and the Motorway Police was being readied as well for onward submission to the chief minister.

When told that the Motorway Police had got registered a first information report at the Akora Khattak Police Station but the accused were not arrested despite the fact that they were present in the police station and that Motorway Police Chief Kaleem Imam had resented the lack of action, he said deferring the arrest was the prerogative of the SHO as both the parties had officials in uniform.

He explained that the Excise and Narcotics staff members had registered a daily diary as well. “The arrest was not made as in that case both sides will have to be proceeded against,” he explained.