The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in its report has held the police and the provincial administration responsible for the Joseph Colony incident.
The commission in its report said, “The purpose of this preliminary report is to present facts as ascertained regarding the incident of violence on Saturday, 9th March, 2013 in Joseph Colony, Badami Bagh, Lahore and the events that led up to the incident.”
The report will also look at the response of the administration before and during the incident and identify those responsible for the lapse. These are the preliminary findings of the HRCP fact-finding mission based on initial investigations conducted over two days. The commission will issue a detailed report and findings within a few days.
The report claims that there is nothing to suggest that the mob was in any way resisted by the police. Some of the residents expressed the fear that the local trader community might have played a role in escalating the tensions and consequently in the carnage. A local candidate for the upcoming Trader Association elections was alleged to have played a subversive role in the entire episode and in particular the incitement.
The HRCP mission finds it disturbing that the local administration that was clearly aware of the possibility of such an attack failed to take adequate measures either before or even during the attack. The warning issued by the police on Friday to the residents establishes conclusively the fact that the administration knew about arson and plunder in advance. Lahore DCO Noor-ul-Amin Mengal, while talking to the mission, admitted the knowledge on Friday about possible violence and claimed to have informed his superiors, the inspector general of police, and the chief minister, about the situation.
The DCO further said that he was present at some point during the incident on Saturday and asserted that maintenance of law and order was not part of his job as after the Police Order 2002 this power had devolved to the police administration.
The mission contacted the Superintendent of Police (SP) City, Imtiaz Sarwar, who had taken charge of the post after the occurrence. He said that in his opinion the police could have contained the protestors and a mistake had occurred in threat assessment by the local police and administration.
The entire police administration at the time of the occurrence, consisting of SP City, DSP Badami Bagh and the SHO Badami Bagh have been removed from their posts and were not available for comment at this stage. The HRCP mission also tried to contact the Lahore SSP (Investigation) Babar Bakht who also was not available.
The HRCP mission feels that the responsibility for this horrific incident has to be ascribed at two levels: immediate and ultimate. The immediate responsibility for this act lies primarily with the police and district administration that despite prior knowledge failed to act. The ultimate responsibility for this tragedy rests squarely with the provincial government. The statement by the DCO establishes that the provincial government at the highest level was aware of the threat and potential damage, even likely violence in advance, and yet faile