SHO abuses, assaults traffic warden: Traffic police officials fail to take action
LAHORE: City Traffic Police officials have failed to take action against Gazi Abad Police station house officer (SHO), who allegedly abused and assaulted a traffic warden who tried to issue him a ticket for using his mobile phone while driving.
Sources in the traffic police said the warden, Waheed Bhutta, was performing his duties when he was radioed about a car, whose driver was using his mobile phone while driving and failed to stop when he was signalled. Waheed responded to the message and forced the driver to stop the car.
They said when Waheed tried to issue a fine ticket to the driver, he started abusing him and introduced himself as Gazi Abad SHO Sub-Inspector Hammad Butt. Hammad ordered Waheed to stay in the same place and returned with a police station vehicle full of constables and three members of the Muhafiz Squad.
The constables assaulted the warden and tore his uniform. They also took the keys of the warden’s official motorcycle and took him to the police station. When senior traffic warden Abdul Majeed Basra reached the police station, he requested Hammad to release the warden and return the keys.
Sources claimed Basra reported the incident in the Roznamcha of the traffic police, but stopped Waheed from filing an official complaint with senior officials.
Stopped: Waheed told Daily Times that he did not forward a complaint because his immediate officer stopped him from doing so. He said Hammad Butt had been suspended by his senior officials the day after the incident. He added that since some action had been taken he did not push the filing of a complaint.
Routine matter: Senior Traffic Warden Inspector Abdul Majeed Basra confirmed the incident and said it was a routine matter. He said Hammad had returned the keys of the motorcycle to the warden, but he had not informed senior officials because he did not want to ‘bother them’.
Sub-Inspector Hammad Butt said he had a small misunderstanding with the warden, but denied allegations of abuse and assault. He claimed he did not come back with his subordinates to threaten or assault the warden, adding that the allegations were wrong.
