Captain Muhammaed Tahir Naveed (Retd), Town Police Officer (TPO), Jamshed Town in his deposition before Tribunal of Inquiry probing into Nishtar Park tragedy said that he could not identify the place of blast.
TPO Jamshed, who claimed to be an eyewitness being present inside the control room established on third floor of a building facing the Nishtar Park and also the first senior police officer to reach the place of incident, said he could not say where the blast occurred, whether between the people offer prayers or amongst participants roaming the area.
To a question by the tribunal headed by Justice Rahmat Hussain Jafferi of High Court of Sindh (SHC), he said that control room was about 100-150 yards away from the stage. He said after blast he reached about 50-60 years away from the possible spot of blast. I have seen shoes, some liquid probably blood, clothes of victims and also noticed that some fraction of front portion of stage was damaged while major portion of front and entire stage remained intact.
No other unusual thing was noticed by me, he stated, adding that except his personal staff no one (police officials) met him at the place of incident.
He also denied that police panicked after the blast but said all steps under contingency plans were immediately resorted top and entry and exit points were secured.
When asked about the video film prepared on his instructions, he said that he has seen the same. Only sound of blast could be heard, he said. "According to my estimates, blast occurred in front of the stage," he said.
To a question by tribunal he said that only a policemen could be seen sitting in an ambulance and no policemen were seen helping/rescuing evacuating the injured and dead to hospitals. He also conceded that no policeman or officer died or sustained injury in the tragedy in which 52 commoners died and dozens left injured.
He also admitted that Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in event of such a blast or tragedy was fully implemented. The crowd turned violent and were charging at the police, in prevailing condition nothing could be done, he stated.
Earlier, TPO Jamshed Town produced peon book, which depicted the receipt of permission granted to a television network by DIG Operations. No entry was recorded in the inward or outward register about the said permission, he told the tribunal.
To a question, he said that although town police have separate budget but he is not aware that whether a TPO was authorised to purchase equipment and machinery like Close Circuit Cameras etc. He told the tribunal that people hate police as it tries to enforce laws. To a number of question, about security at five entry gates to Nishtar Park, security of stage and venue, he expressed ignorance and said SHO Soldier Bazaar PS shall be knowing these facts.
Later, ASI Iftekhar Hussain Baloch of PS Brigade who made video film of procession led by Shah Turab-ul-Haq Qadri and also of Nishtar Park meeting. ASI Iftekhar told the tribunal that his camera was working and filming but at the time of blast was focused elsewhere. I fell to the ground due to intensity of the blast and lost senses for few minutes. He was in the witness box when the tribunal adjourned proceedings till Friday.
Comments
Comments are closed.