Police probe accuses Jibran Nasir of seeking public sympathy before elections


KARACHI: Jibran Nasir was involved in a road rage incident when he was briefly detained, according to preliminary police findings which also accused the rights activist-turned-politician of seeking public sympathy before upcoming general elections.

Nasir was roughed up by police personnel in the security protocol of a senior judge when he refused to make way for his motorcade on Monday. Subsequently, he was detained and taken to a police station for an hour.

“We have received two complaints – one from Jibran Nasir and the other from the judge’s escort,” explained District South SSP Omar Shahid Hamid while talking to The Express Tribune. “Our initial findings suggest that it was an incident of road rage and nothing else,” he said, adding that further investigation into the incident was underway.

Medico-legal certificate confirms Jibran Nasir was ‘roughed up’

“The escort has been provided to the judge sahib as per law,” said SSP Hamid.  “Officers in the protocol only reacted after the rights activist blocked vehicle of the judge, who is already facing terror threats,” he added.

The officer said the senior judge was present in the vehicle when the incident occurred and himself ordered his escort to release him Nasir after ascertaining his identity. “It was not a matter of the VIP protocol but it was a matter of the security and the threats,” the officer explained.

He said the rights activist attempted to escalate the incident to gain public sympathy as he is also currently running his election campaign.

The officer further explained that a case was not registered against Nasir on his insistence as there was no need for an official document for medico-legal requirements due to obvious and visible injuries like fracture and skin cut.

Be grateful for the slap, you could have been shot too, Jibran Nasir quotes protocol officer

Rights activists Nasir, however, expressed his anger over the police findings. “I am not doing this for publicity. Even it has not linked with my political campaign. Wrong allegations are being leveled against me,” Nasir reacted on initial police findings. “Those police officers who believe it an incident of road rage should be shameful.”

He also demanded to have public the CCTV footage of the incident. “If they (police) would not collect the evidence so I will do it myself to clear all,” he said. “Our – my and judge Sahib’s trial should be conducted to prove who is right and who is wrong if police are believing that it was not a matter of VIP culture.”

The human rights lawyer was beaten up by a Sindh high court judge’s protocol and detained by Sindh Police on Monday evening for “refusing to give way to the judge’s security protocol” in Karachi.

Rights activist Jibran Nasir beaten up, briefly detained for ‘challenging VIP culture’

The incident happened on Khaleequzaman Road near Karachi Club, the entire episode was live-streamed by Nasir on popular social networking site Facebook. Nasir is also in the run for NA-247 and PS-111 constituencies in the elections.

On the other hand, the supporters of the rights activist held a protest outside the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday, demanding of chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of the incident.

“Incidents of harassment, abuse and physical assault by security protocol officers of self-styled VIPs is becoming a norm in Pakistan and growing like a cancer in our society. Where initially us citizens were subjected to traffic jams, delays or being forced to change routes to do “VIP movements” now it has become increasing unbearable and unsafe to drive on the same roads as these VIPs,” said one of the protesters.

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    Original news : https://tribune.com.pk/story/1749837/1-police-probe-accuses-jibran-nasir-seeking-public-sympathy-elections/