NAROWAL: Former federal minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and 10 others have been booked for interfering in polling process and slapping a policeman who was performing security duty at a polling station in Sialkot on Feb 8.

As per the first information report (FIR), registered on the complaint of Amjad Ali, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Sialkot Sadar police station, the complainant was performing election duty at the Government Boys High School Gana Kalan polling station on Feb 8.

It said that former federal minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, who was a candidate of the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) from National Assembly Constituency NA-70, arrived at the polling station, with her supporters, and allegedly started interfering in the polling process illegally.

The complainant said when he asked the IPP leader to not to interfere in the polling process, she slapped him on his face and used abusive language against him.

Meanwhile, a video clip of the incident is also circulating on social media, showing Ms Awan slapping the uniformed policeman.

Taking notice of the incident, Sialkot District Police Officer (DPO) Muhammad Hasan Iqbal ordered Sadar police to take appropriate action.

On the DPO’s order and complaint by the ASI, Sadar police have registered an FIR against Dr Awan and 10 unidentified persons under various sections of the penal code.

Spokesperson for the district police confirmed filing of the FIR against the IPP leader and others, saying no arrest has so far been made.

The DPO said that everyone was equal before law and no one would be allowed to take law into their own hands. Strict action would be taken against the suspects according to law, he added.

Dr Awan is notorious for her short temper, and had slapped then PPP MNA Qadir Khan Mandokhail during a TV talk show in 2021, when she was a special assistant to then Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar during the PTI rule. ­

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2024