ISLAMABAD: Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday directed the deputy commissioner and the inspector general of police (IGP) Islamabad to explain why they adopted selective approach in punishing police officials after Sikh protesters entered Parliament House on May 24.

Hearing a petition filed by two suspended police officials, the court directed the two respondents to file their comments till June 11.

On May 24, the members of the Sikh community held a protest demonstration against the desecration of their holy book in Sindh and entered the Parliament House after breaking the police cordon. As a result, the IGP suspended SP Habibullah Niazi, DSPs Hussain Lasi, Fida Satti, Safeer Bhatti and Mohammad Arshad.

The protesters were originally scheduled to protest outside the National Press Club but they managed to enter the Constitution Avenue and breached the Parliament House.

Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, the counsel for the two suspended police officers SP Niazi and DSP Lasi argued before Justice Siddiqui thathis clients were deputed on the security duty at the Parliament House and the Election Commission and the entrance of over 250 Sikhs protesters in the Red Zone was a surprise for them.

`It was not their duty to stop the protesters from entering the Red zone as contingents of Rangers and the Quick Response Force of the police were there for their monitoring.

He claimed that officers from the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) had been spared and only rankers made scapegoats.

It may be mentioned that rankers are those officials who are hired either as assistant sub-inspector or sub-inspector and then get promoted whereas PSP officers join the police force after clearing the Central Superior Services examination and are hired as ASP.

The counsel said being incharge of security of Parliament House, SSP security and the SSP operations might have been suspended for the incident.

`Rankers, however, have been made the scapegoat, said advocate Jahangiri, requesting the court to set aside the suspension orders.-Staff Reporter