PTI senator roughed up by officials manning checkpost

Nauman Wazir claims they were tortured; will raise issue in Senate

NOWSHERA: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary leader in the Senate Nauman Wazir and his staffers were reportedly roughed up by officials manning a checkpost in Hakimabad here on Sunday.

Nauman Wazir is an industrialist and is also Vice-Chairman of the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA).

Mohammad Zeeshan, private secretary to Senator Nauman Wazir, and Director Finance of Technical University Mohammadullah told reporters that they had been on a visit to Nowshera to inspect the technical institutions in the district when the incident happened.

They said the officials manning the checkpoint signalled their Land-cruiser having the official number plate (ZB008 V8) to stop at around 7pm on the Nowshera-Peshawar road.

They said that Nauman Wazir introduced himself as member of the Senate of Pakistan, but the officials didn’t pay any heed to him and ordered them to get off the vehicle so that they could search them and the vehicle.

Mohammad Zeeshan said they were frisked and made to sit on the ground. He said the vehicle was also searched as the officials insisted that there was threat of some sabotage activity.

“Senator Nauman Wazir asked the officials to let him talk to their officers. In the meantime, two senior officials came in a vehicle and made me, driver Habib, Mohammadullah and the senator to sit on the ground,” Mohammad Zeeshan said. He added that a junior official was ordered to slap them in the face.

He alleged that they were slapped and kicked. “I tried to make a video of the incident on my cellphone, but the junior official snatched it from me,” Zeeshan said.

He said that later Syed Ismail Shah, Station House Officer of Police Station, and some high-ranking officials arrived at the scene and apologized for the incident.

He said they promised that action would be taken against the delinquent officials under military laws.

Zeeshan said that Nauman Wazir didn’t accept the apology and got a case registered against the officials at the Police Station in Nowshera.

Talking to The News, Senator Nauman Wazir said, “We were humiliated and tortured. I have filed a complaint against the humiliation and violence to which I and my staff members were subjected. I will also raise this issue in the Senate,” he added.

District Police Officer Nowshera Wahid Mehmood said that investigations had been launched into the incident and action would be taken against those found guilty.