LAHORE: A sessions court on Wednesday ordered Station House Officer (SHO) Bhati Gate to lodge an first information report (FIR) against Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, the Capital City Police officer, DIG operations and six other police officials for allegedly assaulting and torturing lawyers to prevent them from participating in the long march of the Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf on May 25.

An additional sessions judge Mian Mudassar Umar Bodla issued this order on the petition of advocate Haider Majeed, who contended that the Lahore police on the direction of Rana Sanaullah made the assault, tortured, humiliated and damaged their vehicle when they were heading towards Islamabad to participate in the PTI long march.

In its written order, the judge maintained that criminal procedure code empowers the police to use force to avoid a disturbance of the peace or to disperse an assembly which threatens such peace but exercise of this power is not unbridled. It is subject to the condition imposed by Article 14 & 16 of the Constitution as well as Article 6 &7 of international covenant on civil and political rights and Article 3 of universal declaration of human rights.

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The object of use of force is to quell a disturbance. The judge further said the Lahore High Court had in a case had also held that the use of force is to be exercised as a preventive measure and not for launching an attack.

In the instant case the lawyers were boarding their vehicles but the police stopped them and they came out of the vehicle peacefully. Despite the fact they were cooperating with police, they were baton charged, humiliated, disgraced and their vehicles were badly damaged by policemen. The video of the occurrence was played in the courtroom which showed that it was not lawful use of force but vandalism.

It is required by law that the justice of peace should act judiciously. Therefore, SHO Bhati gate is directed to lodge FIR against Rana Sanaullah and others under Section 352 (assault or use of criminal force) PPC, 427 (mischief causing damage) PPC and other provisions of police order. SHO was further directed to proceed strictly in accordance with law after lodging the FIR, the order concluded.

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