The provincial government failed to provide ex-premier Imran Khan with adequate security, took too long to file the FIR, released “confessional videos,” and failed to provide any information to the federal government, according to a letter from the federal government that was dated November 5 but made public on November 7.
Given that the Supreme Court (SC) has already mandated that the FIR be registered in this case, it appears that the publishing of the letter is an effort on the part of the Centre to strengthen its case against the Punjab administration.
A gun attack on a PTI long march in Wazirabad on November 3 resulted in the death of one PTI employee and the injuries of several others, including the PTI chairman.
Punjab is accused by the Center of handling the Wazirabad incident poorly
The high-profile case’s improper treatment, which was clear from the fact that the FIR, which is typically expected to be filed within 24 hours of any occurrence, was not filed even after more than 36 hours had passed, has been conveyed by the interior ministry through the letter.
Actually, the incident happened four days ago.
The ministry claimed that the provincial government’s inadequate response to the regrettable incident is evidenced by the fact that no FIR was filed despite the fact that provincial police officers were present at the location when the tragedy occurred.
The letter stated that the provincial administration has shown a complete refusal to offer any kind of justification for the occurrence, including its inability to give the former premier proper security and the obvious disregard for standard operating security procedures in respect to the convoy.
The federal administration has also emphasised that the former prime minister’s medico-legal assessment has not yet been completed. Concerningly, the provincial government has not provided any information regarding the offender’s weapon or if it has undergone forensic examination.
Furthermore, it claimed, the crime scene was not secured for several hours following the incident, which is another another infraction of the established protocols. Furthermore, no official information on the victims or the type of their injuries has been made public, it was said.
The publication of the suspected offender’s “confessional” recordings, it continued, indicates grave flaws in the investigation process.
The provincial administration and its employees’ failures, which it claimed amounted to criminal negligence, “are clear proof of their mishandling of the situation,” it said.
The blockade of major highways and roads by small groups of “miscreants” stopped life in Punjabi cities and also impeded transportation between districts as a result of the failure to adequately manage the law and order situation in the province after the incident.
It went on to say that the fundamental freedom of movement granted by Article 15 of the Constitution was breached by the provincial police and administration’s incapacity to control the law and order situation.
The attack on the Governor’s House in Lahore by a “crowd of miscreants” on November 4 further illustrated, according to the provincial government, how poorly it handled the crisis by failing to protect the workplace and housing of the province’s highest constitutional officeholder.
The province administration must promptly step up its efforts to ensure the maintenance of law and order and the safety of everyone’s life and property in light of the aforementioned, according to the interior ministry.
“It is stated that FIR of the said case based on facts of the incident should be registered on merits and not on conjectures or speculative allegations immediately, without further loss of time as required under Section 154 of the CrPC 1898 by the concerned SHO or CTD Punjab as complainant as the delay is grossly illegal and has irreparable harm to prosecute the real accused,” it said in its conclusion.
