Inside story of Pakpattan DPO, Khawar Maneka altercation

LAHORE: The inside story of Pakpattan District Police Officer intercepting Khawar Maneka, the former husband of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife, has emerged.

On August 5, Bushra Bibi was expected to visit the shrine of Baba Farid in Pakpattan and strict security had been ordered.

However, Bushra Bibi did not visit the shrine and only her son and daughter did.

According to details, later Khawar Maneka reached the shrine and he had an argument with police officials deployed in the area. He even lodged a verbal complaint after the altercation.

Reports of Pakpattan DPO Rizwan Umar Gondal’s transfer sparked a controversy on Monday, as speculation suggested that the police officer was transferred because of an altercation between the police and Maneka.

Reports claimed police personnel tried to stop Khawar at a checkpoint on but he did not stop. However, they chased his vehicle and managed to intercept him. 

Khawar reportedly misbehaved with the police and hurled expletives at them when they stopped him, sources had said.

Subsequently, the reports stated, that the Punjab government summoned DPO Rizwan Gondal and also asked him to go to Pakpattan to apologise to Khawar. The DPO refused to obey the orders and did not apologise to Khawar, saying the police was not at fault over intercepting him.

Gondal also informed Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar about his decision to not apologise Khawar, police sources further said.

He was then transferred, reportedly for refusing to apologise to Khawar.

However, soon after the reports went viral, Inspector-General Punjab denied that Gondal was transferred under any pressure. He said Gondal was transferred owing to his misleading statements about misbehaviour by police personnel with a citizen.

Information Minister Punjab Fayyaz ul Chohan earlier said that the PTI has nothing to do with the incident and that the party does not believe in meddling in institutions.