Transfer of jail superintendent: SAPM Tarar urges SC to take suo motu notice

ISLAMABAD: The newly-appointed Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Narcotics Control Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take suo motu notice on the transfer of a jail superintendent by Punjab Home Minister Hashim Dogar “just because of one prisoner”.

A day ago, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial government of Punjab had transferred Adiala Jail superintendent Chaudhry Asghar Ali on the recommendation of Punjab Home Minister Hashim Dogar for “keeping Shahbaz Gill in a special cell (Chakki)” on his first night in the prison.

“Such treatment is not being meted out to any prisoner. I recommended removal of the DIG and Jail Superintendent from the post to the competent authority,” he added.

Speaking at a presser, Tarar said a man who uttered, “seditious remarks against the armed forces was being dealt with lawfully”.

He lambasted the provincial government of Punjab for transferring jail officials, saying “the PTI leaders are now raising hue and cry after facing a little severity.”

He asked the PTI leadership to condemn Gill’s controversial remarks, adding the party should have issued a notification on the first day that Gill will no longer be chief of staff to PTI chairman as he has violated party policy, but it did not do so.

He questioned whether Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi suggested PTI chairman Imran Khan to distance his party from Gill after his controversial remarks.

“The PTI chief Imran Khan should have denied anti-national state narrative of Gill if he was wrong but there came no denial from the party chief,” he added.

He said the claim by PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry about the alleged torture of Shahbaz Gill was full of contradictions.

“In the past, baseless cases were framed against political opponents by the PTI. The prison officers are removed for not facilitating a prisoner which is not acceptable as all as the prisoners should be dealt with equally,” he added.

About the PTI’s prohibited funding case, he said it was not an ordinary matter, and the party must be made accountable for getting funds from the prohibited sources from abroad.

“The funding to the PTI by foreigners is a big question mark. Why should anyone fund a political party for no purpose? The legal requirements pertaining to the PTI’s prohibited funding case are being processed,” he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022