Karak
At least 12 policemen have been fired from their job for showing negligent and irresponsible behavior in the mob attack on the Hindu shrine in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Karak. On December 30, an angry mob had attacked and set ablaze the religious site in Karak.
Video clips going viral on social media showed hordes of people breaking and desecrating the site while chanting slogans. Smoke could also be seen emitting from the shrine after it was set on fire.
The Karak district police officer ordered the dismissal of 12 policemen and a one-year suspension of 33 other cops on Thursday. Terry police SHO Rehmatullah and Banda police ASI Mujeebullah are among those who have been fired. The Karak DPO said the cops were dismissed in light of the inquiry report into the attack.
The report said the policemen showed negligence, carelessness and irresponsible behavior during the attack. The policemen failed to protect the shrine, the Karak DPO said. No space in police for negligent officers: KP IG Sanaullah AbbasiKP Inspector-General of Police Sanaullah Abbasi said there is no space in the police department for those showing negligence.
He said he was clear from the start that anyone showing carelessness will be sent home. The KP IG said the protection of the life and property of the public is a top priority of the police. SC directs rebuilding of temple: On January 5, the Supreme Court directed KP government to rebuild the temple by recovering the amount from Maulvi Sharif one of the prime suspects behind the demolition.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar heard a suo motu case pertaining to the demolition of religious site that consists of a temple as well as the shrine of a saint. During the hearing, the bench was irked by the KP Police’s failure to protect the Hindu temple. Justice Ahsan questioned how the incident could occur with a police picket so close by. “What was your intelligence agency doing when the mob was gathering?”
To this, KP Inspector-General Dr Sanaullah Abbasi said 92 police officials who were on duty, including the area’s superintendent and deputy superintendent, have been suspended and at least 109 suspects have been arrested.—INP
