rawalpindi -   A citizen has lodged a complaint on Prime Minister Pakistan Citizens Portal against a provincial minister and the former regional police chief for obtaining the release of a proclaimed offender (PO) despite he was arrested and locked up by airport police for his involvement in a fraud case, informed official sources on Wednesday.

The PM Pakistan Citizens Portal has forwarded the complaint to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Amjad Javed Salimi for legal action against the former regional police chief, they added.

“IG has forwarded the complaint to RPO and SP Internal Accountability tasking her to hold an inquiry into allegations,” sources mentioned.

SP had summoned the former regional police boss and the other police officers associated with the case, they said. 

However, the authorities have failed in launching any action against the provincial minister for misusing his power and taking the side of a PO, who is said to be the cousin of the minister, sources said.

According to sources, a citizen Raja Amir Hussain, resident of Safari Villas-III, Bahria Town, Islamabad, has lodged a complaint with PM Pakistan Citizens Portal stating he got registered a case number 385/18 under section 489-F dated 11/5/2018 with Police Station (PS) Airport against Asfand Yar Daud Khan, who was cousin of Provincial Minister for Higher Education Yasir Humayun.

He added the police had not arrested the accused for his “close” association with the minister and Regional Police Officer (RPO) Muhammad Fayyaz Dev. A court had declared the accused as PO on 24/11/2018, the complainant said.

 “Instead, the accused Asfand Yar used to visit the office of RPO regularly and was being accorded protocol despite the fact he was a PO,” Raja Amir mentioned in the complaint. He alleged the accused had managed to register bogus cases against him and many other people with alleged compliance of police in order to save his skin.

“Finally, police held PO Asfand Yar during a raid on 14/12/2018 and put him behind the bars in PS Airport,” he said. He said Punjab Minister for Higher Education Yasir Humayun had phoned RPO ordering him to release Asfand immediately.

“RPO, following directions of the minister, called SHO PS Airport and directed him to release the PO,” Raja Amir asserted. He accused the minister and RPO (who has now been transferred from his office) of misusing their powers to save the skin of a PO-cum-fraudster from police and sought legal action against the duo.

The complaint, lodged by Raja Amir, reads as, “Category: Bias Attitude of Police. Complaint Details: A complaint no.PU010119-0846567 had previously been filed on Jan 1, 2019, against the RPO, RWP i.e M. Fayyaz Dev and Provincial Minister Mr Yasir Humayun, the same was forwarded to the RPO, RWP by the office of IG Punjab for the report, however, there has yet to be any update/action on the same. The above-mentioned complaint was filed after multiple legal notices were sent to the RPO, RWP for abuse of his office to protect and aid a proclaimed offender, the RPO had failed to respond. That the same proclaimed offender, with the aid of RPO, registered numerous FIRs at the same police station i.e  PS Westridge, in a blatant abuse of power and of the office of RPO,”

On the other hand, the former RPO Muhammad Fayyaz Dev has not appeared before SP Internal Accountability despite issuance of various summons, the sources said. They said the three other police officers including Sub Inspectors Ghulam Shabbir, Safdar, and Liaquat have faced the SP and recorded their statements. SI Safdar, who is investigating a case number 373/18 under sections 420/467/468/471 got registered by accused Asfand against Raja Amir, told SP that Raja Amir was found not guilty during probe as the complainant failed in producing pieces of evidence in support of his accusations in the FIR. Another SI Shabbir, in his statement, told the SP he was suspended by former RPO Muhammad Fayyaz Dev for arresting the PO.

The spokesman to CM Dr Shehbaz Gill, IG Punjab Amjad Javed Salimi, and RPO Rawalpindi Ahmed Ishaq Jahangir were not available for their comments.

“Minister Sahib is busy in visiting his mansion and cannot talk to you right now,” replied an operator to Provincial Minister Yasir Humayun, when contacted by The Nation for his point of view.