Clash outside NAB office: FIR registered against Maryam, Safdar and PML-N workers

LAHORE: Police on Wednesday registered a first information report against hundreds of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers and supporters including the party vice-president Maryam Nawaz and her husband Safdar Awan over the Tuesday's clash outside the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office Lahore.

Many people, including PML-N activists and NAB officials, were injured during the clash and police rounded up around 50 activists after firing tear gas besides hurling back stones at the activists while each side was blaming the other for triggering the clash.

Lodged at the Chung police station, on the complaint of NAB Director for Security and Intelligence Mohammad Asghar, the FIR nominated several other PML-N prominent leaders including Rana Sanaullah, Mirza Javed, Javed Latif, Mian Abdul Raouf and 184 other supporters. It also pointed to the involvement of another 300 unnamed workers who the security team "would be able to identify from the pictures and video footage".

The FIR states that Maryam had been called to the NAB Lahore office in a personal capacity in a case related to "illegal" accusation of land at Raiwind for the Jati Umra residence of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. But instead of complying with the direction, she incited the PML-N workers at the "behest" of her husband Safdar Awan.

It continues that the workers then started pelting stones at police and NAB officials and creating a complete disorder. It also identified different vehicles that came to the NAB office as part of Maryam's caravan. "This is the first time in NAB's 20-year history that this level of horrendous attitude has been shown in which the day to day office operations of the organisation have been destroyed and the state's work has been interfered with," it read.

The report states that this "evil act" was done by Maryam and her husband Safdar after proper planning and coordination with the PML-N workers. It says they also brought stones in their cars from Jati Umra, adding that MPA Mirza Javed and his son had also come to the NAB office with bags of stones in their car.

The FIR also alleged that the workers had organised an "unlawful assembly" on Maryam's instigation and were told to disperse by the police. "The PML-N workers under their leadership's guidance also pelted stones at the police officials."

The NAB said the movement of the accountability body's employees and passers-by was "restricted" and fear and chaos was created, adding the building's glass was also broken by throwing stones. The bureau requested the police to "start action against them according to the law."

The FIR was registered under section 147 (punishment for rioting), section 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), section 290 (punishment for public nuisance in cases not otherwise provided for), section 291 (continuance of nuisance after injunction to discontinue), section 440 (mischief committed after preparation made for causing death or hurt), section 109 (punishment of abetment), section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and section 86 (offence requiring a particular intent or knowledge committed by one who is intoxicated) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020