NHMP officer on death bed marked absent

PESHAWAR: A junior officer of the National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP, who died from the coronavirus a few days back, was marked absent from duty while fighting for life at the Intensive Care Unit, a source told The News.

This caused anger among the NHMP officers, who has demanded an inquiry as to how a cop was marked absent and transferred to a remote area when he was already on deathbed. Sub-Inspector Malik Shaukat Mehmood was posted in Beat 3 at Kamra who lost his battle for life against Covid-19 at a hospital the other day.

A source said that the deputy inspector general of police North-5 has ordered an inquiry after the officer in an audio message a few days before his death complained that no one from the department bothered to enquire after his health or provide any kind of support while he was at hospital.

“I have been fighting for life at hospital for the last 20 days while the bosses have marked me absent from duty. Instead of enquiring after my health, this is how department and officers are treating their juniors,” the deceased sub-inspector was heard saying in an audio message to his colleagues and friends.

Many of his colleagues are angry and have expressed anger in various groups that when Malik Shaukat was at ICU he was transferred by the bosses to Lahore. Besides, they said, no one tried to shift him to any better health facility where his life could have been saved.

The colleagues asked the IGP NHMP to conduct an inquiry and take action against senior and junior officials for their negligence by not enquiring after the health of a colleague and marking him absent and transferring him to a remote area while he was on deathbed.

They complained these actions against Malik Shaukat demoralised him at a time when he needed help and encouragement. Meanwhile, an official of the National Highways and Motorway Police who was critically wounded when a speedy car hit him near Peshawar toll plaza was still critical at hospital.

An official said Adil Ali Shah was wounded when a speedy car driven by one Junaid Atiq hit him near Peshawar toll plaza. The driver was arrested. Report said the driver told police that his brakes failed but the officials said he was driving at 160 kilometer per hour. The video of hitting the official went viral on social media.