CJP asks IGP…: Is this Naya Pakistan’s police that can’t control a gangster?

LAHORE: The Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday reprimanded the Punjab Police for failing to recover land from a land grabber, Malik Mansha Ali Khokhar alias Mansha Bomb.

“Is this Naya Pakistan’s police that cannot control a gangster,” the CJP asked Inspector General Police (IGP) Punjab Amjad Javed Saleemi. As the hearing started, the chief justice rejected a report submitted by the DIG Police and censured the senior officer for not returning the land recovered from Mansha Bomb to the affected people. He directed the police to give possession of the land to their real owners immediately.

The CJP also ordered IGP Amjad Javed Saleemi to advertise on the media about setting up a camp in the Johar Town area where people could submit their complaints if their land was still in possession of the land grabbers or if they had not been given possession of their land after its recovery from the land grabbers.

A two-judge bench, headed by CJP Nisar, issued these orders at the Supreme Court Lahore Registry while hearing a petition of overseas Pakistani Mahmood Ashraf against Mansha Bomb, who according to the petitioner had deprived him of his property. The chief justice berated DIG Operations Waqas Nazir for presenting a vague report about retrieving land from the illegal occupants. The CJP summoned the provincial police chief as well as the Lahore deputy commissioner. "Is this the police of Naya (new) Pakistan?" Chief Justice Nisar asked. "Police should be shamed of its performance. They are called names and yet they defend thugs." At this point, the chief justice also considered summoning Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, noting: "Where is the chief minister? He had claimed with quite an authority that grabbed lands would be retrieved." But operation was stopped only after two days. However, the CJP did not summon the chief minister later on and called the IGP instead.

Meanwhile, DIG Nazir argued that it was police which had arrested Mansha Bomb and Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi. He assured the court that the police were following its orders in letter and spirit. He informed the court that the police handed over possession of 19 properties to their actual owners after getting them recovered from Mansha Bomb. The clarification, however, could not satisfy the top judge, who summoned "Mansha Bomb, Afzal Khokhar and all those who were trying to influence the case". “People are making hue and cry on roads against the land grabbers and police are claiming ‘all is well’. "Police are unable to overcome a single Mansha Bomb," Chief Justice Nisar remarked. "You are hand in glove with gangsters; this is how you ensure implementation of the law? What is your relationship with Mansha Bomb? Why are you trying to protect him? “You are involved with gangsters. Is this how you are safeguarding the law?” Justice Nisar asked. "You will not leave in uniform if proven guilty," the chief justice warned the DIG operations. The DIG assured the court that they were loyal police official and did not succumb to any pressure. The Director General (DG) LDA Amina Imran Khan submitted in the court that they had conveyed to the deputy commissioner the demarcation of the land.

The chief justice also censured Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Amjad Javed Saleemi over his force's conduct. When the top cop claimed that police were doing a "fantastic job", Justice Nisar reminded him that "Mansha Bomb had surrendered in my court". The CJ said: “I am really upset today” after he came to know that abusive language was used against police officials. Where is the chief minister, who used to make tall claims of getting recovered the occupied land. “You people could not catch a Mansha Bomb and he surrendered only before my court.” The CJ remarked that he wanted to make the police strong. The IGP Saleemi replied the CJ that police could not function without the court’s support.

The plaintiff complained that Civil Judge Noor Mohammad treated him rudely but was courteous with Mansha Bomb and his counsel. At this, the top judge summoned the civil judge to his chamber and later relieved him of the case.

Meanwhile, Mansha Bomb, on his turn, broke down in the courtroom and pleaded for mercy. "You didn’t you cry when you were grabbing others' land," the chief justice said. "Don't you have the fear of God?"

On October 2, 2018, the Lahore administration had launched a grand operation against encroachments, retrieving illegally possessed land, including around 80 kanals possessed by Mansha Bomb in Johar Town worth Rs5 billion. On Oct 4, 2018, an investigating officer had told the court that Mansha Bomb had gone underground since the Supreme Court ordered a crackdown on land grabbers. On Oct 15, 2018 Mansha Bomb was taken into custody from the Supreme Court after he had gone there to "surrender" himself.