Punjab police officers issued notice in contempt plea

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday issued notice to senior officers of the Punjab police on a petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against them for harassing the chairman of Pak-Turk Educational Foundation (PTEF).

PTEF Chairman Alamgir Khan in his petition sought contempt proceedings against IGP Mushtaq Sukhera, AIG Rai Tahir, SSP Lahore Mohammad Iqbal and SP Haroon Rashid for allegedly harassing him in violation of an earlier court order.

On December 6, 2016, Mr Khan had filed a petition in the IHC, stating that the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) was forcing him to resign. The CTD also initiated an inquiry into the affairs of the PTEF to coerce him out, it added.

After a preliminary hearing of the petition, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani on December 6 sought a reply from the CTD and restrained its officials from harassing the petitioner.

In his latest petition, Mr Khan alleged that despite the court’s restraining order the CTD officials were continuously harassing him and threatening him of dire consequences.

The petition said the conduct of the police officers not only amounted to blatant illegality but was also extremely unfair.

The police continue harassing the petitioner to coerce him into resigning as the chairman of the foundation that has been providing quality education to nearly 11,000 students in 26 schools across Pakistan as they (police) wanted to hand over the foundation to the pro-Erdogan Maarif, it added.

After the July 15, 2016 failed coup in Turkey, the Turkish government believed that the Pak-Turk schools were a part of the network owned by Fethullah Gulen, a political rival of President Erdogan.

The Turkish government reportedly called upon the government of Pakistan to close the schools. Turkey declared Gulen’s organisation a terrorist entity after the coup attempt.

The IHC will resume hearing of the case on March 3.

Source: Dawn