ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police on Sunday said five officers, including the Margalla station house officer (SHO), had been suspended following a preliminary inquiry into yesterday’s raid at the residence of PTI leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan.
The raid at Barrister Gohar’s house, located in F-7, was conducted on Saturday while he was appearing before the Supreme Court for the hearing on the petition against the restoration of the party’s electoral symbol. After being informed of the raid, he had told the apex court about the incident and left for his home.
Later, he had returned to the court and informed the bench that his son and nephew had been tortured by the police. Subsequently, the SC had taken notice of the raid and summoned the chief of the capital police.
Initially, the police had denied that any raid was conducted at Gohar’s residence, but later a video went viral on social media after which the police issued “contradictory statements” about the raid.
Police officers on condition of anonymity had told that the raid was conducted on the directives of the senior officers. A police team reached the house of the PTI leader in four vehicles for the raid, they stated. The team entered the house and left after confiscating a computer and some documents, they added.
Separately, the police had claimed that the house was raided on a tip-off regarding the presence of proclaimed offenders in the residence. However, the contingent returned after learning that the house belonged to the PTI leader. The police had added that Gohar’s house was raided due to confusion about the address.
In a statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) today, Islamabad police said a fact-finding inquiry was conducted regarding the raid at Barrister Gohar’s residence.
It stated that the police had reached F-7/2 at 2pm yesterday to apprehend a “proclaimed offender on the tip of an informer”.
According to the statement, when the police party found out that the said house was the residence of Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, the raiding police party came back immediately.
It added that the PTI leader complained to the apex court about the raid. “The Honourable Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan summoned the Islamabad Capital City Police Officer (ICCPO) and ordered an investigation into the matter,” the police noted, adding that the apex court had directed the ICCPO to personally hear Gohar’s grievances.
It said that Islamabad police chief Dr Akbar Nasir Khan assured Gohar that the matter would be investigated and departmental action would be taken if any police officer was found guilty.
Dr Nasir, the statement continued, appointed the district police officer as an inquiry officer with the directions to hold a fact-finding inquiry into the matter and submit a detailed report within three days.
“After preliminary inquiry 5 officers, including SHO Margalla, have been suspended until further orders,” the police said, adding that an inquiry was being conducted and strict action would be taken against the officials who violated the law.
